Bestiary Transcript

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| ___|_ _| \ | | / \ | | | ___/ \ | \ | |_ _|/ \ / ___\ \ / /
| |_ | || \| | / _ \ | | | |_ / _ \ | \| | | | / _ \ \___ \\ V /
| _| | || |\ |/ ___ \| |___ | _/ ___ \| |\ | | |/ ___ \ ___) || |
|_| |___|_| \_/_/ \_\_____| |_|/_/ \_\_| \_| |_/_/ \_\____/ |_|
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/_/\_\___|___|
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| __ ) ___ ___| |_(_) __ _ _ __ _ _
| _ \ / _ \/ __| __| |/ _` | '__| | | |
| |_) | __/\__ \ |_| | (_| | | | |_| |
|____/ \___||___/\__|_|\__,_|_| \__, |
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|_ _| __ __ _ _ __ ___ ___ _ __(_)_ __ | |_(_) ___ _ __
| || '__/ _` | '_ \/ __|/ __| '__| | '_ \| __| |/ _ \| '_ \
| || | | (_| | | | \__ \ (__| | | | |_) | |_| | (_) | | | |
|_||_| \__,_|_| |_|___/\___|_| |_| .__/ \__|_|\___/|_| |_|
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By Mookiethebold
Version 1.0 / Yiazmat
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WARNING! This guide does contain some spoilers! Read it at your discretion!
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[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]
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*Using [Ctrl + F] type in the search code and click "find" to go to the desired
section of this guide.
1 - VERSION HISTORY........................[ BTVH ]
2 - INTRODUCTION...........................[ BTIN ]
3 - BESTIARY...............................[ BTBE ]
3.1 - THE DALMASCA SANDS...............[ BT01 ]
3.2 - GIZA PLAINS......................[ BT02 ]
3.3 - THE GARAMSYTHE WATERWAY..........[ BT03 ]
3.4 - THE BARHEIM PASSAGE..............[ BT04 ]
3.5 - THE LHUSU MINES..................[ BT05 ]
3.6 - THE YENSAN SANDSEA...............[ BT06 ]
3.7 - THE TOMB OF RAITHWALL............[ BT07 ]
3.8 - OZMONE PLAIN.....................[ BT08 ]
3.9 - GOLMORE JUNGLE...................[ BT09 ]
3.10 - THE HENNE MINES.................[ BT10 ]
3.11 - PARAMINA RIFT...................[ BT11 ]
3.12 - THE STILSHRINE OF MIRIAM........[ BT12 ]
3.13 - THE MOSPHORAN HIGHWASTE.........[ BT13 ]
3.14 - THE SALIKAWOOD..................[ BT14 ]
3.15 - PHON COAST......................[ BT15 ]
3.16 - TCHITA UPLANDS..................[ BT16 ]
3.17 - THE SOCHEN CAVE PALACE..........[ BT17 ]
3.18 - THE FEYWOOD.....................[ BT18 ]
3.19 - THE ANCIENT CITY OF GIRUVEGAN...[ BT19 ]
3.20 - THE RIDORANA CATARACT...........[ BT20 ]
3.21 - THE PHAROS......................[ BT21 ]
3.22 - ZERTINAN CAVERNS................[ BT22 ]
3.23 - CEROBI STEPPE...................[ BT23 ]
3.24 - THE NABREUS DEADLANDS...........[ BT24 ]
3.25 - THE NECROHOL OF NABUDIS.........[ BT25 ]
3.26 - MARKS...........................[ BT26 ]
3.27 - ELITE MARKS.....................[ BT27 ]
3.28 - ESPERS..........................[ BT28 ]
3.29 - BOSSES..........................[ BT29 ]
3.30 - RARE GAME.......................[ BT30 ]
3.31 - HUMANOIDS.......................[ BT31 ]
3.32 - THE ARCHADIAN EMPIRE............[ BT32 ]
4 - CONTACT INFORMATION....................[ BTCI ]
5 - CREDITS................................[ BTCR ]
6 - DISCLAIMER.............................[ BTDI ]
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[ 1 - VERSION HISTORY ] [ BTVH ]
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Version 1.0 / Yiazmat
5-01-08: Set up a basic format and started transcribing the bestiary info.
5-15-08: Done.
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[ 2 - INTRODUCTION ] [ BTIN ]
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-> Greetings, folks! This guide is a transcription of every page of every
bestiary entry in Final Fantasy XII. I have done this for those gamers who
have neither the time nor desire to spend hours upon hours running around
Ivalice and slaughtering all the necessary fiends just to make further
information about the games' world available. Undoubtedly, not everyone
possesses the patience to fight the mandragora family in the Feywood
fourteen times over, or to trek through the Great Crystal to eliminate Omega
Mark XII, or spend up to four or five hours (or more) to kill the ultimate
mark, Yiazmat!
Be aware though, this is not a guide about where to find or how to spawn or
how to defeat the beasties in this game. Please do not contact me asking
such questions, because you will not get a response.
Personally, I find the amount of background provided for nearly everything
in FFXII to be very interesting reading, and no doubt there are plenty of
others who do, as well (and plenty who don't, I'm sure). I hope those of you
reading this, who chose not to acquire this info in the game itself, will
find this guide useful and informative. Perhaps you'll think twice before
killing certain foes once you're aware of their tragic past, or appreciate
the beauty of the landscape in a particular locale a bit more upon learning
of its history.
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[ 3 - BESTIARY ] [ BTBE ]
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Listed in the following manner:
-> entry #xxx - [monster name] / Genus - [type] / Classification - [type]
-> For Rare Game, the first line will look like so:
-> entry #xxx - [monster name] / Derivation - [type] / Rarity - rated with
one star* (common) through five stars***** (very rare)
-> The next section for the majority of entries is titled "Observations," which
provides basic information about the respective entry. Rare game, Espers,
Marks, etc., have a similar first section, just with a different title.
*This is the information presented on page one in the bestiary, unlocked by
defeating one foe in the respective entry.
-> The second section contains information about the world of Ivalice, be it
people, places, weapons, loot, etc. This section has many different titles,
such as "Sage Knowledge," "The Town Crier," "Aletap Rumors," and various
others.
*This is the information presented on page two (and later, for some entries)
in the bestiary, unlocked by defeating all of the required number of foes
in the respective entry.
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< 3.1 - THE DALMASCA SANDS > [ BT01 ]
001 - Cactoid / Genus - Plant / Classification - Cactus
Observations: Being a mischievous, mean-spirited beastie, mercifully lacking
the intelligence to do any real damage.
Sproutlings are called cactites. A rare strain is notable for its proclivity
to sprout a scarlet blossom; that being seldom seen, of the highest value, and
considered a sign of miraculous good fortune by sensitive young lovers with a
tolerance for needles.
The Adventurer's Handbook: Ye adventurers only beginning on your travels: your
first task should well be the collection of 1,000 needles from the fickle
cactoid.
Upon plucking this collection, you will find yourself not only the proud
owner of a bundle of needles, but possessed of great experience in interminable
combat withal, and, should you sell it, a pittance of coin.
If making a bundle exceeds your capabilities, the adventurer is urged to
reconsider his or her vocation and take up employ about town. Adventuring is
not all fun and games, mark you.
* * * * * * * * *
002 - Ichthon / Genus - Ichthian / Classification - Pirahna
Observations: Deceptively joyful colorations adorn this carnivorous ichthian of
vicious temperament.
Of its armaments, the naturalist Merlose has called it "a beast most fierce,
it having a lower mandible which jutteth out like a war-spear, this being used
to rend and tear the flesh of its prey, and a voracious appetite quite
exceeding its diminutive size."
When feeding in shoals, they are known to devour large creatures such as the
wild saurian in the blink of an eye.
Sage Knowledge (34 of 78): Kingdom of Dalmasca: A small kingdom comprising the
lands around the city of Rabanastre, governing a portion of the Galtean
Peninsula.
While its territories are small, its situation at the crossroads of three
continents has enabled it to prosper as a center for trade.
More than 700 years are marked in the charts of history since her founding,
yet many are the armies that have sought to claim her for her cultural richness
and strategic importance.
Upon her defeat to Archadia in the invasion of 704, her lands were placed
under the direct control of the empire.
* * * * * * * * *
003 - Wolf / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Agile, swift, and keen of tooth, the wolf is the preeminent
hunter. Widely known to roam in packs led by an alpha. Though once they lived
in close harmony with mankind, fierce competition over prey brought Man to shun
and eventually revile them.
Thereafter, the wolves took to the eating of monsters, from this arising
diverse strains of wolf, varying greatly in form and adaptation, befitting
their diet.
Sage Knowledge (46 of 78): Dalmasca Estersand: One of the large desert regions
of Dalmasca, located to the east of Rabanastre. Rife with all manner of
monstrous beasts, it regularly plays host to hunts organized within the city.
What settlements there are line the banks of the River Nebra, a vibrant blue
vein running through the heart of the sands, wherein can be found ferries for
the conveyance of travelers and goods across her flow. Many merchants make a
point of stopping in the villages to trade on their way to and from Rabanastre.
* * * * * * * * *
004 - Wild Saurian / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Tyrant
Observations: Once lords of the land together with the other wyrmkin; a war
with the gods dwindled their numbers to a mere fraction of their former glory.
This great creature possesses sharp teeth in its sizable maw by which it
catches and rends the flesh of its prey, and a grand tail, the latter being
used for balance as it strides upon two powerfully appointed hind legs.
Mysteries of the Ancients: One of the singular problems in clearing new land
is, surprisingly enough, the removal of monstrous bones, they being far more
resistant to wear, and far heavier, than those of men.
The worst of these by far are tyrant bones.
Though they too will erode over the ages, their weight and strength are most
uncommon, and even the hottest flame will leave no mark upon them.
To expect anything less from such a bone would be to forget the awesome might
of the tyrant from whence it came.
* * * * * * * * *
005 - Cockatrice / Genus - Avion / Classification - Cockatrice
Observations: Lo, the mighty cockatrice, proud-feathered sphere, known as much
for its ill humor as its dire rotundity.
The great naturalist Merlose once remarked: "...live they in the sands and
other arid climes, whereabouts they moveth in a rolling fashion most peculiar.
Subsist they principally on small creatures and vermin &c., for the
incapacitation of which they disgorge a sticky saliva, thence devouring
captured morsels only when appetite moves them. Swollen sacs containing airs
are found under the surface of the skin, and when inflated, these lifting the
creature upon drafts unseen, whence to espy suitable prey.
Sage Knowledge (47 of 78): Dalmasca Westersand: One of the vast deserts of the
Dalmascan region situated to the west of Rabanastre. Few roads pass through
this waste, and as such it is little frequented by merchants.
In Dalmasca Westersand, the sandstorms are more greatly feared than the
beasts; so much so, in fact, that whole societies of natural philosophers in
Rabanastre devote themselves to their study.
* * * * * * * * *
006 - Gnoma Entite / Genus - Gnoma Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: In the chronicles, it is said that in time out of memory the gods
fashioned here a paradise, yet Man was ill-satisfied and sought to cultivate
the lands beyond. The soil was thus enriched, yet this gave rise to
differences, differences to greed, and greed to war. The gods wept and raged
and cleft the land, casting men into the gaping abyss.
Out of this tumult, the gnoma entite was born.
The Entite Pact: The strength of the earth carries us, does naught but be under
all, languid, resistant, a mass against which the spirit is strained and,
eventually, broken. Only the power of wind may tempt the indolent soil into
action.
The earth, now called, cares for you. For you, heart-cleft, and for you alone
will it open and reveal the rich electrum it holds.
* * * * * * * * *
007 - Dive Talon / Genus - Avion / Classification - Diver
Observations: Called the "Pirate King of the Skies" for its uncanny powers of
flight, and ability to strike silently with fatal precision. Its startling
plumage is no evolutionary accident, being intended to dissuade dragons and
other natural predators. Ironically, the sturdiness of these vibrant beast
deterrents makes them highly prized for crafting another kind of predator: the
profit-hungry hunter.
Sage Knowledge (43 of 78): Nalbina Fortress: A fortress built on an oasis
located between the old kingdoms of Dalmasca and Nabradia. Defended by high
ridges and barren sands, long it stood firm against generations of aggressors.
Nalbina Fortress and the merchant town that sprung up in its shadow made the
area a focal point for local commerce. The treaty to end hostilities in the war
with Archadia was signed at Nalbina, yet immediately after the signing, the
Dalmascan king was slain, and as a result, the kingdom of Dalmasca came under
complete Archadian Imperial rule.
In the two years since the war and occupation by Archadian forces, the
fortress has become a key strategic stronghold against the distant, yet ever-
threatening, Rozarrian Empire. Works continue to this day to repair the damage
which the fortress suffered during the war.
Recently, markets where antiques and rarities can readily be had have sprung
up in the outer wards of the fortress, taking advantage of the steady flow of
traffic which passes through this midpoint between Rabanastre and Nabudis. It
is this pivotal location that gives the fortress its unique character. Many are
the travelers who visit Nalbina Fortress to witness this ever-booming oasis
that refuses to silt over in neglect, or crumble before the blistering winds of
war.
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< 3.2 - GIZA PLAINS > [ BT02 ]
008 - Hyena / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: A gifted hunter, possessed of sharp horns and fangs, reputed
never to spare its quarry once sighted.
The larger variety of these is known as the alpha hyena. They consume all
manner of things from wee beasts to the largest of behemoths, and do not turn
up their noses at the carrion flesh of similar.
The horns growing from their snouts are used to impale larger opponents, and
are sharp as well-honed blades.
They excel in slipping past a foes defenses, whereupon they deliver a most
telling blow to the vitals.
Sage Knowledge (40 of 78): Lowtown: Lowtown lies, as its name would suggest,
beneath the city streets of Rabanastre. Great pillars standing throughout
Lowtown support the soaring edifices above. Prior to the war with Archadia,
many merchants used Lowtown as a place to store foodstuffs and wares for sale.
With the defeat and occupation of Archadia, many of the former residents of
upper Rabanastre were relocated here, leading to its gradual transformation
into a residential area. No natural light shines on Lowtown, save where there
are passages to the streets above, making it perpetually gloomy.
Many orphans from the war have adopted Lowtown as their new home.
* * * * * * * * *
009 - Wooly Gator / Genus - Beast / Classification - Gator
Observations: Formerly inhabiting tropical climes, the bodies of these fierce
predators have begun to adapt to deteriorating climatic conditions by growing a
thick coat of spindly hair.
Known to spend much of their time in the water, except during their mating
season when they are sometimes sighted furtively going about their business
during the Rains in Giza Plains.
Their jaw, being split into two halves, is well suited to keeping a tight
grip on prey, allowing them time to administer a finishing blow as and when
they see fit.
Sage Knowledge (17 of 78): The Shiva: No. 1 Light Cruiser Class Airship
Belonging to the 8th Fleet of the Archadian Imperial Army.
Ordered to return to Rabanastre after the nethicite fragment known as the
"Dawn Shard" was recovered, but sank in an explosion thought to have been
caused by the relic before she could make port.
* * * * * * * * *
010 - Happy Bunny / Genus - Beast / Classification - Dreamhare
Observations: Being a fiendish creature taking the form of an adorable bunny
(for which, indeed, it is all the more fiendish), living in the dry savannah
lands, such as can be found in Giza Plains during the Dry, or Ozmone Plain.
The name of the beastie is given to change according to its location, so that
those of Giza Plains are called giza rabbits, and those of Ozmone Plain called
ozmone hares.
They are wont to migrate during periods of inclement weather, and one may
find that, depending on the season, a given specimen may be found in Giza
Plains or Ozmone Plain.
Sage Knowledge (48 of 78): Giza Plains: A vast savannah spreading to the south
of the Royal City of Rabanastre, the environs of which vary drastically between
dry and rainy seasons.
Large dark crystals lie scattered here and there across the savannah. During
the Dry, they absorb the sun's radiance and glow with an auric brilliance. A
village of nomadic herders is located near the middle of the grasslands. During
the Rains, the villagers relocate to the mountains. While they reside in the
grasslands, the menfolk rarely return from their herding, leaving the women and
children to their own devices in the village.
These nomads know the art of capturing the energy of the dark crystals in
chunks of magicite, called sunstone, which they then bring to market to sell.
The animals by which they make their living are primarily of cockatrice stock.
* * * * * * * * *
011 - Great Tortoise / Genus - Beast / Classification - Titantoise
Observations: Being a sizeable tortoise with a massy shell of broad
circumference.
Customarily living in the deep places of the earth - caves and the like -
save during the Rains, when they are known to emerge and forage in the vicinity
of water. Tortoises, newly spawned, are wrapped in a thick shell, protecting
them after the fashion of an egg.
Upon their growing, the legs and feet break through the shell, this being the
adult form, whereafter they continue to grow until such growth is arrested by
illness or incident.
Sage Knowledge (18 of 78): The Leviathan: No. 1 Dreadnought Class Airship
Being the flagship of the 8th Fleet of the Archadian Imperial Army.
The 8th Fleet was assigned to the Galtea Tactical Force of the Western
Armada, under the command of Judge Ghis. Fitted with a skystone made to resist
the effects of Jagd, the Leviathan was a linchpin of the Imperial army's main
force.
Sunk in an explosion caused by the uncontainable reaction of the nethicite
fragment known as the Dawn Shard.
* * * * * * * * *
012 - Sleipner / Genus - Beast / Classification - Sleipner
Observations: Being the result of much breeding in a now long forgotten land,
the aim of which being the creation of a superior war charger around which to
build a cavalry without equal in all Ivalice.
In this time when a cavalry's strength meant victory or defeat, there was one
knight whose feats in the saddle shone above all others. This hero among men
named his horse "Sleipnir", a name later given to those steeds chosen by his
disciples.
In more recent days, the great cavalries of old are gone, their once proud
steeds grown wild and feral at heart.
Sage Knowledge (29 of 78): Ivalice: The region consisting of the three
continents of Valendia, Ordalia, and Kerwon, blessed throughout with verdant
natural landscapes and climatic conditions supporting a great variety of life.
Regional climate trends are thought to be determined largely by the density
of Mist present in the air, though this correlation is as yet not well
understood.
Many humanoids call Ivalice home, each belonging to a distinct cultural
sphere. By far the most prevalent of these are the humes, and it is around
their civilization that affairs throughout the rest of the world revolve.
* * * * * * * * *
013 - Silicon Tortoise / Genus - Beast / Classification - Titantoise
Observations: Being a variety of giant tortoise spending its infant stage
quietly beneath the soil, only to emerge upon maturity.
It is a quality of the giant tortoises that, depending on how deep down in
the earth their youth was spent, the composition of their shell, and thus the
particular species to which they belong, comes to differ.
Of their ilk, the silicon tortoise has spent its youth in the deepest of
tenable places, being born with a thick layer of fat inside its shell so as to
sustain its growth without the need to eat.
Talk About Town: Armor, once sundered, requires Repair, and that costing more
dearly when such is of High Quality. Why? Fool! You must use Materials of like
Strength lest all Assays at Repair be entered into vainly.
Nor is the Procurement of such a mean Task. Stories abound of hale Warriors
venturing forth to obtain Shells tough as Iron and ne'er returning, having run
afoul of said Shell's Occupant.
Kana, White Mage
* * * * * * * * *
014 - Wildsnake / Genus - Beast / Classification - Serpent
Observations: Being a curious creature having a serpentine body wherefrom grow
six blades. They are known to dig holes in the ground and to lie in wait for
prey therein. In antiquity, these were said to possess large mouths decked with
prominent fangs, these having since receded in concert with the gradual
flattening of the creature's form, and after splaying sideward to form the
aforementioned blades.
Indurate scales covereth the snake's body, which are so shaped to permit
rapid movement over all manner of terrain.
Sage Knowledge (39 of 78): Rabanastre: Capital of Old Dalmasca, and before
that, many other kingdoms stretching back into the storied history of the
Galtean Peninsula.
Rule by the Dalmascan royal family lasted for several hundred years before the
city's fall to the Archadian Empire two years past. Now an Imperial territory.
The story of the city's people is the story of three cultures, those of
Valendia, Ordalia, and Kerwon, who bore trade goods along the many well-
frequented routes leading to her welcoming gates.
The town proper of Rabanastre is divided into four sections by the cardinal
directions of the compass. The east and west are merchant districts, the
streets lined with shops and stalls of every description. In the north, the
streets widen into a large piazza facing the palace, and to the south can be
found three gates leading beyond the city walls to the Dalmasca desert and Giza
Plains.
The aerodome can be found in the western outskirts of town, surrounded by
numerous privately operated airship docks.
In the northwestern part of town stands a splendid cathedral built in the
Galtean style, the bell of which, when rung, sounds through every hearth and
home in the city.
* * * * * * * * *
015 - Werewolf / Genus - Giant / Classification - Behemoth
Observations: The story of this strange, man-like creature began it is said,
when a group of bandits ate the corrupted flesh of a wolf, becoming infected
and changing form. Indeed, like the wolf, these afflicted beings are known to
feed with relish upon rotting meat.
As carrion-feeders oft develop strong resistance to illness, some natural
philosophers have urged detailed study of the creature in hopes of culling
reagents for medicants from their flesh.
Talk About Town: You've heard the famous saying that a good steak is worth ten-
fold its weight in potions? Of course you have!
Now, that saying's older than I am, and potions and philtres have come a long
way since I was a lad, but you have to admit it still has the ring of truth
about it!
Eat a quality steak, look me in the eye, and tell me it doesn't invigorate
you!
Irrim, Apothecary
* * * * * * * * *
016 - Urstrix / Genus - Beast / Classification - Urstrix
Observations: Being the progeny of wildfowl taken into the magicite mines to
ascertain the presence of noxious fumes. On occasion of a mining accident,
these birds would be exposed to great quantities of Mist, under the influence
of which they would at length give birth to chicks with stunted wings of most
peculiar shape.
Perplexed, the hens discarded their unwanted, flightless brood, these
becoming the feral urstrix.
Sage Knowledge (30 of 78): Ordalia: Continent on the western edge of Ivalice.
The vast plains in the interior are home to the great Rozarrian Empire. To the
east of Rozarria the land is arid and largely desert.
The Galtean Peninsula on the eastern portion of the continent is a crossroads
connecting to Valendia and Kerwon both, and a strategic prize sought by empire
and kingdom alike.
Though Dalmasca controlled the peninsula for the last several hundred years,
it was lost to the Archadian Empire in an invasion two years past.
* * * * * * * * *
017 - Storm Elemental / Genus - Storm Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being an elemental of lightning, traveled to our land on a bolt
from the sky.
On this subject, the old tomes speak much of the wrath of gods made apparent
in the stormlights, and their anguished cries in the rolling thunder.
Even today, when knowledge of the elementals and the natural order in which
they occur is widespread, these superstitions endure, such that many disdain
harnessing the power of the bright element, fearing to profane the teaching of
the gods. These "sacred" activities are reserved for and entrusted to priests
of the highest orders.
Aletap Rumors: One o' my mates, he has this funny habit o' takin' the fine
materials you might use for buildin' manses and the like and poundin' 'em into
plain ol' pebbles with his bare hands!
He's a famed pugilist, he is. Says that smashin' all that quality stone makes
for great trainin', and gives him somethin' to take his frustrations out on. I
dunno why he don't take 'em out in the ring, though. If you ask me, it's a
shameful waste o' gil, as well as some half-decent stones!
Gusten, Merchant
* * * * * * * * *
018 - Slaven / Genus - Giant / Classification - Slaven
Observations: Valued through much of history for their size and great
locomotive power as beasts of burden, recent advances in transport tecknologies
have seen this noble beast fall by the wayside.
Rare have their trainers become withal, such that only a few still remain
alive in Ivalice today.
While some argue that the breed should be preserved as part of our cultural
heritage, most modern specimens are thoroughly feral, beyond pacification by
even a skilled trainer.
Sage Knowledge (25 of 78): Marks: Beasts - scourge of the common peoples of
Ivalice. Foul creatures who take the greatest relish from inflicting the most
gratuitous harm.
Of these, the worst are identified as a public menace and made "marks," for
the slaying of which a bounty is offered. Most mark hunting petitions come from
commoners or local officials, though kingdoms have been known to issue requests
for the slaying of particularly malevolent menaces.
Mark hunters range from professional hunters to casual adventurers. The
unwary be warned: though mark hunting is imagined by some to be a short road to
fame and fortune, it is oft-times found to be a short road to an early grave.
* * * * * * * * *
019 - Mardu Entite / Genus - Mardu Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Tales of the people speak oft of the wrathful gods visiting Man
with lightning, and the remorseful gods weeping the rain that follows. For this
did peasants once light fires, sending smoke up to the heavens in hopes it
would cause the eyes of the gods to water, irrigating their crops.
Yet these fires did naught but incur once more the gods' wrath, and in a
rage, they sent rainless lightning down to blast and scorch those who had
offended.
It is said these bolts gave birth to the mardu entite.
The Entite Pact: How better to quell the lightning's blind rage, to still the
mindless roar of her answering thunder, than by drawing a veil of ice around
it, cold enough to freeze passion itself?
So will the dark clouds part and let shine through a light as brilliant as
the sun: the light of electrum.
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< 3.3 - THE GARAMSYTHE WATERWAY > [ BT03 ]
020 - Dire Rat / Genus - Beast / Classification - Rat
Observations: Being a manner of vile and verminous beastie, much favoring the
fetid stench of the sewers and making their nests therein. Past attempts at
eradication to contain the plagues these pests are known to carry have greatly
reduced their numbers, yet a preternatural rate of reproduction has kept the
strain from extinction. And so they remain, an ever-popular subject for natural
philosophers keen to fathom the secrets of their indomitable constitution.
Today's Recommendation: The rat tail: a cheap reagent for all your potion-
crafting needs. And that's not all: some aficionados say they're quite tasty
fried with a little cactus butter!
The large volume disappearing from merchant's stalls would seem to confirm
their popularity. Rumor has it that, with the right spices, the flavor can only
be described as "transcendent." I, for one, am not sure I'm quite ready to
transcend.
* * * * * * * * *
021 - Baritine Croc / Genus - Beast / Classification - Gator
Observations: Should the traveler hear a hauntingly sweet song in the wetlands,
beware! For it is surely the dulcet lure of the baritine croc, a crafty and
dangerous beast favoring cold climes and dank underground caverns. The thick
layer of vermillion fur covering much of its bulk is of great density, and
containing of air pockets which further insulate the beast against the
elements, making it better suited to living in harsh environs than its gator
brethren.
The Adventurer's Handbook: Have you slain the sweet-singing baritine croc? Then
look into its belly for the lost treasures of those who hunted this wily beast
and fell. You may claim a broken sword or the like. Do with your findings what
you will, but we recommend turning a profit. Whatever it meant to those who
came before, to you it's a treasure with which to line your pockets. Then
again, you could use it to arm and armor yourself, adventurer. Who knows, it
may be your broken sword that is found next.
* * * * * * * * *
022 - Gigantoad / Genus - Beast / Classification - Toad
Observations: This amphibious, carnivorous monstrosity is said to live only in
the Dalmasca region, much to the relief of peoples living elsewhere.
During the mating season, the male inflates a great sac in his gullet
producing a distinctive galumph sound, whereby he makes his intentions known to
the fairer (as far as he's concerned) sex.
Its horns are unsuitable for combat, and are instead used to mark territory
with gouges on tress, as do some great cats, or for threatening the predatory
wooly gator.
Though possessed of a relatively peaceable nature, the gigantoad is fiercely
territorial and can be deadly when provoked.
Sage Knowledge (42 of 78): The Garamsythe Waterway: An underground waterway
running deep beneath the Royal City of Rabanastre. Built and rebuilt over the
centuries, no one alive knows all of its labyrinthine ways. Some are said to
lead even to the royal palace.
There are stairs leading down to the waterway in Lowtown, but they are
normally barred to keep unwelcome visitors down in the sewers where they
belong.
* * * * * * * * *
023 - Malboro Overking / Genus - Plant / Classification - Malboro
Observations: This malboro, through its abstinence of the odd practice of
heterogenesis by which its lesser ilk procreate, has reached the foreseeable
pinnacle of its development.
Its hide has grown hard to the very point of petrifaction, and the crown it
wears is studded with a glittering gemstone for each year of its life. Truly a
king among foul-smelling vegetables.
Research Notes: Completed phase three of inquiry into nature of putrid breath.
Unable to annul stench, though have developed several deodorant solutions of
passable strength, and three fragrances withal, such as may be marketable with
further refinement.
Indeed, three of my most experienced researchers have joined a small venture
marketing these scents, and so spend their days mixing, culling, and sniffing.
They have even achieved some measure of financial success with a particular
fragrance derived from putrid liquid, the public being none the wiser! I know
not if I will see them in my laboratory again.
* * * * * * * * *
024 - Garchimacera / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: There was once an unenlightened age when all manner of maladies
were believed to be the work of demons.
It was customary in those days to place statues with terrible visages in the
houses of curing so as to ward off these demons. Eventually, it came to pass
that the people thought of the statues themselves as a sort of demon, and they
feared them so much that the fear took shape, and the garchimacera was born: a
foul simulacrum of the statues carved to keep such evil at bay.
Sage Knowledge (41 of 78): Royal Palace: A short walk north from the center of
Rabanastre will lead you to the gates of the royal palace.
Before the war with Archadia, this magnificent structure was home to the
Dalmascan royal family, and barracks to the order of knights that served them.
It is currently employed as living quarters and apartments by the recently
appointed consul from Archadia.
The palace itself was built several centuries ago and has since been home to
many Dalmascan monarchs, King Raminas being the most recent.
Numerous additions have been made to the palace over the course of its long
history (the Royal City of Rabanastre having several times fallen under the
control of foreign powers through invasion), but the overall bearing of its
architecture is true to the original Galtean design.
Within the palace are secret chambers containing documents and treasures
belonging to the royal family. Few who live beyond the palace walls know how
they may be found.
* * * * * * * * *
025 - Gespenst / Genus - Undead / Classification - Reaper
Observations: Being an undead given to sudden manifestation in the streets of
large towns where the living reside in numbers.
Such that perish with sins unabsolved are barred from celestial repose and
cast into the darkness, from which pollution they rise once more.
Though they are related in sort to the ethereal ghost, their fearsome
appearance has led to the widespread belief that they are none other than the
very hand of Death. This has led some necromantic authorities to place them in
a genus altogether separate from their ghostly kin.
Aletap Rumors: More equipment and weaponry draws its power from the darkness
than your local armorer is like to admit.
Of these, the demon shield is one o' the best.
Why, they even apply leamonde halcyons to aged turtle shells and destrier
barding, these days. Makes you think twice about charging into battle against
the forces of darkness. I mean, what if you're one of 'em?
Strout, Acolyte
* * * * * * * * *
026 - Ghost / Genus - Undead / Classification - Ghost
Observations: Any soul when trapped in a coffin by magicks will become a
vengeful thing of passionate violence, no matter how innocent or unsullied its
former life.
The ghost is a lamentable example of such. Tales tell of a mage who trapped
his lover's soul in a casket of cold wood and set it at his side, only to be
rent limb from limb by the monster his love became.
Destroying the casket is often enough to dissipate the apparition, this being
more properly called "releasing," for it frees the soul at last to assume the
form assigned to it by Nature.
Sage Knowledge (16 of 78): The Ifrit: No. 1 Cruiser Class Airship.
Belonging to the 8th Fleet of the Archadian Imperial Army.
Led the Imperial response to the Resistance attack on the royal palace in
Rabanastre.
* * * * * * * * *
027 - Water Elemental / Genus - Water Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: The element of water, the vital element, present in all spaces
where there exists life.
Should a water elemental appear near to a befouled pool, it is made clear as
a mountain spring, and for this, these entites are worshipped as purifiers by
diverse faiths.
"As water consumeth all, and cleanseth the land, so doth violence silence
uprising, and purify thought," says the central tenet of one such belief, much
to the dismay of those caught up in its holy wars.
Aletap Rumors: To heat tell of it, nothing packs quite the punch of the bombs
made out in the lands to the far west. But how exactly does one go about
fashioning something like a water bomb, an explosive which harnesses the power
of water? I've collected a fine amount of materials, yet aught's missing and
I'm lost as to what it might be. Truly, a challenge to warm the heart of this
old artificer.
Karimdt, Guild Artificer
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< 3.4 - THE BARHEIM PASSAGE > [ BT04 ]
028 - Steeling / Genus - Avion / Classification - Steeling
Observations: Being an avion possessed of clawed hands and a deep purple hue as
though 'twere cut from the dark cloth of night.
From the records of the naturalist Merlose: "Liveth they in the dark places,
feeding on the life-humors of other monstrosities."
It is known to the modern natural philosophers that they are not "guided
through the black by the devil's hand" as was once suggested, but instead that
they employ a cry of such high pitch that it is as silence to hume ears, and by
its echoing do they navigate with uncanny precision.
It is a peculiarity of their ilk that they hunt often in packs, whence comes
our common expression "Wings o' leather, flock together."
Sage Knowledge (14 of 78): Airships: Airborne craft, developed by moogles
centuries ago. They float by the power of skystone, and are given direction and
speed by means of propeller or glossair ring.
Currently, they are one of the most popular forms of transport in Ivalice,
and the skyroutes are comfortably the busiest of the highways linking the major
cities. Airships range in size from private yachts to giant military warcraft.
Unable to fly in jagd, where skystone is ineffective.
* * * * * * * * *
029 - Suriander / Genus - Beast / Classification - Toad
Observations: Being a carnivorous beast commonly dwelling near shallow bodies
of water.
Though their feet lack the webbing of other aquatic creatures, the fins on
their tails can be threshed in a sideways manner, propelling them with
frightening celerity.
Their horns being used to contest dominance over females, and determining
standing in the herd by virtue of length. Such with smaller horns learn swiftly
to keep out of harms way. While they are normally quite docile, during the
mating season they can be easily agitated, and attack asudden with a great
whooping cry.
Sage Knowledge (44 of 78): Nalbina Fortress & Dungeons: A great dungeon,
created when the Archadian army sealed off the lower levels of Nalbina
Fortress. Originally a complex lowtown region. In addition to the usual
collection of petty thieves and murderers, its inmates include political
dissenters and prisoners of war from the Dalmascan and Nabradian armies, all
thrown together without discrimination, separation, or order. An oubliette has
been created in the depths of the fortress to hold those prisoners whose cases
await judgment before the Court of Archadia.
* * * * * * * * *
030 - Mimic / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: Being an insectoid with four sharpened limbs and a hard, metallic
shell.
Preferring to feast upon brains of high intellect, whereby they may improve
their own faculties. By arranging their own carapaces to resemble a coffer,
they wait for unwitting prey to "open" them, thereby proving some modicum of
intelligence, and thus suitability for consumption.
It is most often humes, wracked with base greed, who fall prey to this simple
but efficacious ruse, which in turn has made humes the mainstay of the mimic's
diet.
Sage Knowledge (11 of 78): Electricity and Magick: With the discovery and
harnessing of electricity, it was suddenly possible to operate devices of a far
larger scale than ever before conceived.
However, the vast quantity of solid fuel required to generate electrical
power, and the development of methods to artificially condense Mist, led to the
latter supplanting the former as the dominant usable energy source in Ivalice.
Only the most energy-hungry devices still use electricity today.
* * * * * * * * *
031 - Zombie / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Being a corpse exhumed, bound by foul magicks, and enslaved. The
corruption of the flesh is advanced, its stench both rank and cloying withal.
As exposure to the sun's rays speeds this decay, they are oft conditioned for
nocturnal activity.
Perhaps due to this, they seem to shun even the lesser light of candles &c.
Sage Knowledge (9 of 78): Mist: Naturally occurring energy, found in almost all
regions of the world, affecting all living things, the climate, and even the
land itself.
Magick is but one of the diverse methods of harnessing the power of Mist, the
most common being via its controlled release from magicite, an ore known to
hold high concentrations of condensed Mist within its crystalline structure.
For larger effects, a greater amount of Mist is required, making particularly
rich magicite a valuable commodity.
There are marked regional differences in the amount of Mist contained in the
atmosphere and soil. While typically invisible to the naked eye, high densities
of Mist will occasionally manifest in very visible phenomena.
The highest concentrations of Mist can even do damage, leading to over-rapid
changes in the environment, and violent behavior among animals and those more
sensitive to the Mist's effects.
* * * * * * * * *
032 - Tiny Mimic / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: The wandering nature of these creatures has been attributed to
their apparent predilection for hunting prey of high intelligence.
From their diet of Nature's intelligentsia, they receive nutrients to aid
their own development, and it so follows that fledglings are often vapid and
dull. Some strains, however, such as the tiny bug, never leave the larval
stage, and so die as poor of wit as they were when they were born.
Talk About Town: I should think you know by now that arrows, shot, and the like
are a prized commodity in these parts, eh?
Most of them, you see, must be imported from other lands! We've none but
ourselves to blame, mind you. If only there were a few more people here with
the skill to craft them...
Aye, that's why you'll be going to the bazaar for your munitions. Bring some
scales or fangs and you'll get what you need.
Gobalta, Merchant
* * * * * * * * *
033 - Skeleton / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Many are those who bear burdens through life, and fail to
relinquish them at the moment of death. Weighted down, they attain not heaven,
but are cast aside to wander the land as skeletons.
Robbed of the pardon of flesh, they are cursed to walk for eons, till their
very bones are reduced to ash.
Only when they are undone and gone from this world, and nothing remains to
bear that which they should not have borne, will they permit themselves eternal
sleep.
Sage Knowledge (8 of 78): Bazaar Goods: Loot from monsters and the like are
crafted into articles fit for sale.
Some of these are little more than refinements on the base materials.
Others require crystals, concoctions, and alchemy to produce. Few require too
much skill or effort, though, making crafted articles a common sight at market,
their quality, if not quite their appearance, being hardly distinguishable from
that of regularly produced goods. If one is lucky, one might find some articles
selling for below the going rate.
* * * * * * * * *
034 - Battery Mimic / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: What strange manner of creature, to so readily absorb the
crackling power of electricity!
Having absorbed an appropriate amount of nourishment from their feast of
lightning, they discharge spectacularly, this being their primary form of
excretion.
Forgoing food of substance, their life-span is pitifully short.
Aletap Rumors: Witness the marksman! You'll find that the steadiest of arms and
truest of aims belong to the most cautious, cowardly fellows of the bunch.
These be they that use silent shot and like trickery to make sure that, when
that one killing shot misses its mark, it draws no unfriendly attention.
Just between you and me, I've found through plentiful study that this shot be
made with magickal processes of a most special variety, requiring darkness
trapped within a certain kind of scale! A scale!
Ffrimllad, Mage
* * * * * * * * *
035 - Specter / Genus - Undead / Classification - Ghost
Observations: The shapeless emotion of fear, coalesced and made manifest by
magicks.
Fear remains in traces for a time where men have been slaughtered, and it is
there, in aceldama, where specters are known to arise.
As their bodies are composed of little more than fear itself, other emotions
are anathema to them, and liable to incite attack. In defense of their very
substance, they will rend their victim's soul from its bodily cage, leaving
naught behind but fear. Thus are new specters born.
Aletap Rumors: The markets are astir with the news that a great storm of some
duration has made it impossible for the lands by the Eastern Sea to fish.
When the storm breaks, 'twill be a rush on the waters. No doubt why everyone
and his cousin is looking to get their angling supplies in good order. If
you've any horn or foul flesh to be sold for bait, now's the time!
Why, they're selling for as much as it costs to buy an imported javelin or
the like, I hear. There's never been a better time to sell!
Soma, Apprentice Swordsman
* * * * * * * * *
036 - Tiny Battery / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: Gaze upon the larval form of the battery mimic and despair.
Wracked with hunger from the moment of birth, every moment of these poor
creatures' lives is spent in pursuit of sustenance.
Technically, they can be considered to be in a constant state of starvation
until maturity, and are prone to attack any perceived obstruction to their
feeding. On rare occasions, a tiny battery possessing a modicum of intellect is
born. Theories that these gifted grubs become queens have gained some following
of late.
Street Corner Musings: When things want craftin', a rock what's got magick in
it, even a sniff, is the order o' the day.
Now you don't need to know what to do with it, but you do need to know this:
Adventurers need society just like society needs adventurers. "What's that got
to do with the price o' potions, Leryll?" I hear you ask. Well, them very same
stones what you adventurers earn an honest gil floggin' at market just happen
to make the world go 'round, too. Simple as that. ...How'd you know my name,
anyway?
Leryll, Archer
* * * * * * * * *
037 - Mimeo / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: Being a creature whose substance is almost entirely metallic.
That its parts so close resemble commonly worked metals assists its
camouflage. Few are they who deem an unmoving lump of iron to be just cause for
alarm, and so do the corpses of the foolish congregate around such innocuous
deposits.
Sage Knowledge (10 of 78): Terrestrial Conveyances: We all are told at one time
or another, but how many of us recall that Ivalice is covered with mimic-
germinites? Easy to forget, as they have little impact on living creatures, but
any moogle worth his hammer could tell you the horribly corrosive effect the
little devils have on the metals most often used for engines and vehicles.
All the better for airships, which fly high above the germinite clouds, yet a
sorry state of affairs for those who would make their journeys on land.
The next time you see a party traveling by chocobo and chocobo-led wagon, you
will know why they're the preferred means of overland transport, won't you.
* * * * * * * * *
038 - Flan / Genus - Amorph / Classification - Flan
Observations: Being an amorph, coated in slime, its eyes and mouth having a
most evil aspect.
They know no distinction of sex, instead absorbing prey until enough bulk has
been gleaned, whereupon they divide their mass, creating offspring in this
manner.
Recent research has shown striking similarities in the magickal ordering of
these creatures with the ordering seen in naturally occurring Mist, leading
some to believe that their generation is tied to Mist at a fundamental level.
The Town Crier: The Iron Stomach, a guild of tasters known for its roster of
legendary chefs, has announced a new dessert!
Called "flan" after the creature of the same name, and fashioned to look much
like its namesake, its popularity is rising as a hunter's treat.
In an astonishing example of creature influencing dessert influencing
creature, it has become common practice to refer to the darkened region near
the flan's head as "caramel," a truer sign of the dessert's popularity than any
of its creators could ever have hoped for.
* * * * * * * * *
039 - Skull Defender / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Being the corpse of a fallen warrior, plated in armor of pale
bronze. Brave and eager for battle in life, they continue to lust for war in
undeath.
From their preferred haunts of man-made caves and mines, some skull defenders
are thought to be fallen hunters, slain in their quest for a mark.
Aletap Rumors: Rumor has it that the island nations to the west lack the iron
to make decent quality fishing goods. Apparently, they use one grade of iron
for the weapons they export, and a cheaper grade for the goods they use in
their everyday lives.
Seems to me, they could lower the quality of their iron swords and solve the
problem, but I think they've too much pride for that.
Tor'Na Moode, Swordsman
* * * * * * * * *
040 - Bomb / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Bomb
Observations: An ensorceled weapon for use against mages in days past, left to
grow wild. Known to react swiftly to the presence of magick, the action of
which triggering the explosive energies contained within.
Notwithstanding, the release of said energy leads to an explosion of a
physical nature, making it greatly effective against targets who rely upon
magickal protection. Many are the mages who hesitate to work magicks around
bombs and their ilk.
Sage Knowledge (45 of 78): Barheim Passage: An underground passage beneath the
fortress at Nalbina. Originally a railway to carry goods into the fortress, the
passage was closed with the introduction of airships as the primary means of
transport.
The abandoned railway line is now rife with Mist, and the dwelling place of
many fell beasts.
* * * * * * * * *
041 - Dead Bones / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: The fate of such who sought to barter with demons for exemption
from death, yet were found by the Reaper all the same. Their souls filled with
dark energies, they are cursed to live another life, a half-life, as
punishment.
To add to their torment, the dark energies within them slowly devour their
being, causing endless pain. And so people speak of these tortured souls, these
dead bones, with pity, relieved that their fate is theirs alone.
Mysteries of the Ancients: Why did the ancients perish? Given what we know of
their strength and power as a race, it is difficult to fathom.
The level of technology and magickal potency exhibited by their relics are,
in many ways, far superior to our own. So, why did they die? Could it be that,
for all our preparations, a similar fate awaits us? To solve this riddle, it is
imperative that we study what ancient bones are left to us, and thereby shed
light upon a past which may predict our future.
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< 3.5 - THE LHUSU MINES > [ BT05 ]
042 - Vampyr / Genus - Undead / Classification - Steeling
Observations: Being a variety of steeling draped in crimson fur.
The most vampyric of their ilk, obtaining sustenance from other creatures'
blood alone.
Making their abode in magicite mines and other darkened places, they feed on
beasts and miners alike.
Because of this, they are renowned for spreading disease, and depriving many
a mine of its entire workforce in the space of days.
Sage Knowledge (54 of 78): Lhusu Mines: A crystal mine located on the sky
continent of Dorstonis. Many years have passed since the ore veins were first
discovered here, yet even today, high-quality ores are found and processed in
these well-worked shafts.
Many claim that the success of the mines is due to a project begun many
centuries past by the Ondore family, whereby mining across their domains was
closely regulated, never permitting too much to be drawn from one place,
thereby allowing the magicite crystals to naturally recover.
The Lhusu Mines are most famous for their high caliber of skystone, the
material which enables airships to ply the skies, and memstone, a variety of
magicite that can store sound and even images in its unique crystalline
structure.
Unfortunately, the dense concentrations of Mist in the mines lure all manner
of beasts, and when mining expeditions are planned, palings must be erected to
keep such creatures at bay.
* * * * * * * * *
043 - Headless / Genus - Giant / Classification - Headless
Observations: The Headless are surmised to be criminals of the dark lands
whence they came. So called for the harnesses they must wear, obscuring their
bowed heads.
These poor souls are tortured to distraction, their only hope of release
being to coat their harnesses in the fresh blood of others. Thus they cut with
blades both cruel and sharp, and in hideous ritual, rub the severed limbs of
their victims upon themselves.
Sage Knowledge (53 of 78): Bhujerba: An autonomous city-state found on the sky
continent of Dorstonis. Originally formed as a magicite mining colony with the
advent of airship travel. The magicite mines of the skylands are superior to
crystal mines on the surface in both quantity and quality of ore, and Bhujerba
developed quickly on fortunes born of rock.
During the years of the Galtean Alliance, the Ondore family took over much of
the daily business of Bhujerba's governance, a rule which continues to this
day. Their neutral stance during the Archadian invasion two years ago
positioned them as mediators of the peace negotiations that followed.
Like much of Dorstonis, Bhujerba is a city of hills and sloping boulevards.
Merchant houses and shops are clustered near the peaks, while residences are
found in the valleys. At the very bottom of the hills lies the network of
crystalline shafts known as the Lhusu Mines.
Many visitors come to Bhujerba to enjoy the open-air parks with spectacular
views only available to those who live in the sky. Very rarely does anyone fall
from the skycity, and curiously enough, not a single death has been reported to
have resulted from such an occurrence to date.
* * * * * * * * *
044 - Killer Mantis / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mantis
Observations: Being a great insect with forelimbs resembling sharp scythes. The
head being directly attached to, and forming a part of, the creature's upper
body. The forelimb blades being jointed in three places, the better to grasp
prey, their tips sharp as needles.
While aggressive, they are also known to be quite cautious, raising their
scythes at the first sign of danger to threaten and give warning to potential
predators.
Aletap Rumors: Know what happens if you take entite lightning and direct the
charge at electrum?
I'll tell you: you get gold. Or something quite close, at least. Once, the
stuff was used in all manner of weapons, for the look. These days, you'll find
little other than the odd golden axe that still uses the stuff.
So you see, all that glitters really isn't gold.
Pantages, Alchemickal Scholar
* * * * * * * * *
045 - Dullahan / Genus - Giant / Classification - Headless
Observations: Being a fallen angel with guilt-burdened wings, its behaloed head
cut off and a cruel brace set in its place.
Though originally emissaries sent to warn mankind of unnatural death, they
came to enjoy the grim spectacle.
The swords they wield are called "blood brands," a sign of their bloody
treachery against humanity.
Sage Knowledge (33 of 78): Purvama, The Floating Lands: A great landmass,
floating in the skies above the Naldoan Sea. Such landmasses are not uncommon,
found throughout Ivalice in every sort and size, though the manner of their
formation remains a mystery.
The region in which they float has some bearing on their climate, however
most are warm to subtropical, boasting primordial jungles in which flora and
fauna both rare and wondrous can be seen.
The crust of these floating islands boasts a high magicite concentration, and
after airships became a common mode of transport, mining colonies sprung up on
the richest outcrops.
Bhujerba, in Dorstonis, is the largest of the skycities, and oversees the
administration of many of the rest.
* * * * * * * * *
046 - Bug / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: Being a rare strain of mimic, its shell turned a jet black due to
magicite consumption in the larval stage.
While the magicite content of its body works to harden its shell against
attacks, this effect is lost outside of magicite-rich areas.
Consequently, all attempts at laboratory inquiry into the creature have been
in vain, and its mechanisms for absorbing the power of magicite remain a
mystery.
Aletap Rumors: Metal of the highest grade is being traded as fast as it hits
the market.
Word has it that a certain war council's seen which way the winds blow, and
is pouring all its efforts into gearing up for the coming conflict. What's
more, it's begun buying up broken weapons from anyone who'll sell.
I suppose even a notched blade is better than a handful of gil when the going
gets rough.
Sosi, Navigator
* * * * * * * * *
047 - Dark Lord / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: No warrior band of flesh and blood has followed so dark a leader
as this cold corpse, wrapped in armor caked in the gore of countless
slaughtered enemies. Chilling though it may be, there is reason behind this
macabre decoration: in the barbaric past, it was thought that true victory came
when you defeated not only the body, but the soul of your enemy. Once the
physical vessel of the soul was slain, the victim's remains were defiled and
rubbed on the victor's armor withal, so that the soul would find no sanctuary
but the arms of its enemy. Yet the hatred of the fallen placed a curse upon
these men, trapping them in their grisly armor even in death, and so they fell
to dark wanderings.
Aletap Rumors: Not all souls are created equal, my friend. Hmm? No, I ain't no
mission'ry tryin' to peddle me faith.
Try listenin' with your ears, not your mouth. Accordin' to my information,
and it's as good as its kind gets, the ones what top the list are called
empyreal souls, see?
It'd take a hero o' legend, or a first-class crook what's got himself a
serious reputation to make that grade.
Dolura-eh-Ro, Streetear
* * * * * * * * *
048 - Pandora / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: Some boxes are made to be opened, others to remain closed. A
prime example of the latter is none other than the pandora, a fiendish creature
that assumes the look of a chest or coffer, granting death to any who open it.
But o, the folly! For still it is whispered that the taboo upon the death-
box's opening is nothing more than a rumor spread by those avaricious few who
would claim the treasures inside for themselves! How many, hearing this, have
opened what they believed to be a boon only to find a bane.
A Curious Treasure: Though it appears to be naught but a puppeteer's fantasy,
the pandora is a crafty creature, with complex, highly developed innards that
somehow harness the power of lightning. Where blood flows in our veins,
lightning flows in theirs.
Its heart, charged with the task of sending that lightning to the rest of its
body, works much like the engine of an airship. Mechanists call this unusual
organ the wrath of the gods.
* * * * * * * * *
049 - Gazer / Genus - Undead / Classification - Reaper
Observations: Being a demon-reaper, said to sense the presence of sinful
knowledge with the gleaming, baleful eye in the middle of its forehead.
Look into its depths and there you will see the reflection of all your sins,
a revelation which will drive you to madness.
How many have stopped asudden, stricken by the accumulated weight of guilt,
even as the cold, cruel claws of the gazer stripped their soul of its earthly
husk?
Sage Knowledge (19 of 78): The Bahamut: No. 1 Sky Fortress Class Airship
Belonging to the western divisions of the Archadian Imperial Army, a mobile
fortress and tactical base, under the control of the commandant of the
Archadian forces, Lord Vayne.
This was the last sky fortress designed by Dr. Cid, powered both by ordinary
skystone and manufacted nethicite, the latter absorbing Mist from its
surroundings to generate the massive amounts of energy the fortress requires to
function.
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< 3.6 - THE YENSAN SANDSEA > [ BT06 ]
050 - Alraune / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: A curiously sentient plant-like creature favoring warm climes,
both tropical and arid.
The horns on their heads are used for cracking rock-salt, from which they
draw the salinity that sustains their life.
The vines spreading like a mask from their necks have led to the
classification of these creatures as a sub-variety of mandragora. Apparently,
however, the distinctive viny ruff is a source of much frustration to the
creatures, and they can often be seen clawing at them, looking much like
irritated pets clawing at a leash.
Sage Knowledge (49 of 78): Ogir-Yensa Sandsea: A desert region in the west of
the Jagd Yensa, most of it covered in fine-grain sand that ebbs and flows like
water, compared from antiquity to a sea.
Abandoned drilling rigs can be found here and there, dotted about the ever-
shifting terrain. In the past, the Rozarrian Empire sought to draw rich oils
from the ground here, but relentless attacks from the Urutan Yensa, who
consider the sandsea to be solely theirs, drove them away. Men are now a rare
sight inside the desert borders.
* * * * * * * * *
051 - Danbania / Genus - Ichthian / Classification - Pirahna
Observations: Being a variety of ichthon traveling the desert regions in flocks
formed around a lone bull danbania.
It is a peculiarity of their physiology that a bone juts forth from the lower
jaw like a spear. Their brownish-yellow coloration perfectly blends in with the
sands, camouflaging them from their greatest natural predator, the wyvern.
Their fins are highly evolved for scooping at the wind, lifting them upwards,
and by flapping them as a bird flaps its wings, they can fly with ease.
Sage Knowledge (50 of 78): Nam-Yensa Sandsea: The desert in the west of the
Jagd Yensa. Fine sand beats in waves against the feet of the rolling dunes of
this region which, together with the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea, is called the Great
Yensan Sandsea.
To the west of the Nam-Yensa lies the gorge known as the Valley of the Dead,
so called because it has been the scene of many an ill-starred adventurer's
demise.
* * * * * * * * *
052 - Axebeak / Genus - Avion / Classification - Cockatrice
Observations: Easily identified by its band of colored plumage, which rivals
that of even the most exotic jungle fowl, this creature makes its home in the
sun-baked desert climes of Ivalice.
Adventurers be warned, its cheerfully colorful appearance belies a violent
nature, and its beak is as sharp as the weapon after which it is named.
Generally feeding upon smaller creatures, they have also been known to gather
in packs for the hunting of larger prey.
Our Daily Burden: Let the Egg Sing of Miracles, Let it Sing for the Children!
So pleads Kirus Andii in her latest song of succor for the orphans of war.
Since ancient times, rainbow eggs have been prized as a miracle food - a rich
source of nutrition in a small, easily portable package. Recently, however, the
egg's rich taste has attracted the appetites of the wealthy, the concomitant
rise in price lifting this amazing food out of the reach of those who need it
most.
* * * * * * * * *
053 - Yensa / Genus - Ichthian / Classification - Yensa
Observations: Being a great sandfish, living in the Sandsea of the Jags Yensa
that, when full-grown, becomes a bull yensa.
Though commonly found moving through the sands, they do occasionally surface.
Their outside being covered in a sheath of bony scales, from beneath which is
secreted a viscous slime having the likeness of a membrane, this being to repel
the intrusion of sand.
The Urutan-Yensa have learned the art of harnessing these beasts as an
excellent means of travel across the trackless Sandsea.
The Town Crier: The Iron Stomach, a guild of tasters known for its lust to
discover new edibles at any cost, has discovered yet another delicacy!
Known as the yensa fin, it's not only delicious, but reasonably priced to
boot! The response from housekeepers has been universally positive.
One such convert recommends a soup broth for bringing out the fin's full
flavor. A book of recipes is in the works!
* * * * * * * * *
054 - Wyvern / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Wyvern
Observations: This strain of dragon possesses both the sharpened talons of a
tyrant wyrm, and the wings of a wyvern, the latter having been traded for
forelimbs at some point in the creature's eons-long development.
Particularly fond of the flesh of the danbania fish, they wheel through the
upper air, searching with keen eye for their next meal.
Of the same strain, the more aged individuals are called bell-wyvern, thought
to be emissaries of the war gods for their effect on warriors in the field, who
are inspired to great acts of foolhardy courage and bravery by the merest sight
of these mighty creatures in motion.
Sage Knowledge (21 of 78): The Strahl: Airship designed and built by YPA, a
shipwright's guild of Archades.
Officially named the YPA-GB47 Test Combat Fighter, production was halted
after the completion of a single test model due to dissatisfaction on the part
of the Imperial customer with the costly dual-movable-wing design. Scheduled
for scrapping, Balthier liberated the ship at the last moment.
Balthier has since modified the Strahl to his tastes with a new engine and
numerous other augmentations, making it a very different ship from the one
envisaged by its YPA inventors.
* * * * * * * * *
055 - Salamand Entite / Genus - Salamand Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: When the gods looked down on Man, shivering in his ignorance,
they bestowed upon him the gift of fire. So did the gods give both warmth and
knowledge to Man.
Gradually, Man grew wiser, and made many things. Yet, when war came, he used
the fire of the gods for the taking of life, and the gods became angry,
scorching the world. In this inferno was born the salamand entite.
The Entite Pact: To prevent the ne'er-sated hunger of flame from consuming all,
drink only from that water which will ne'er parch, and thereby shall it be
sated.
Only then shall the shining electrum be revealed at last beneath burnt-weary
ash.
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< 3.7 - THE TOMB OF RAITHWALL > [ BT07 ]
056 - Seeker / Genus - Avion / Classification - Steeling
Observations: Being a sort of steeling, its body cloaked in fine white fur, and
favoring darkness to the light of day.
Known to employ shrieks of an extremely high pitch as a means to navigate in
the gloom, as well as to deprive potential prey of their sense of direction, a
more conventional approach being used thereafter to deprive them of their
lives.
Mainly feeding upon smaller creatures, but known to attack larger foes in
packs on occasion, giving rise to the extraordinary sight of a flight of white-
winged creatures speckled crimson with fresh blood.
Philosophical Musings: This wing, covered as it is in snow-white fur, is the
most exceptionally beautiful steeling artifact. Should the fur be rich and even
in its length and set, the wing becomes even more beautiful - a perfect work of
art.
To the trained eye of the collector, its value is beyond question. That is
why I seek out these bat wings and store them reverently as another might horde
precious jewels.
* * * * * * * * *
057 - Lost Soul / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Men whose souls have been wrenched from the flesh and made to
march to another's tune are called lost souls. Sightings of these poor
creatures serving as guards for ancient ruins or graves are common. In modern
times, even those with power and title are prevented from performing the
rituals of extraction necessary to fashion these monstrosities, hopefully
ensuring that none shall ever more be made. To release their souls from
bondage, no other means is known save to pulverize their bones and return them
to the earth.
Sage Knowledge (2 of 78): The Age of King Raithwall: Many were the countries
and kingdoms dotting Ivalice, and many were the wars waged in this time. Legend
says that Raithwall, a noble from a small country in Valendia, was granted a
sword and magicite from the gods, and with these artifacts, a mission: to unify
the land. His strategic genius and deep empathy with his people were evident in
his rule of Valendia, and from there he went on to take control of the
remaining two continents. Soon all Ivalice belonged to the Galtean Alliance,
and a Golden Age had begun.
Now king of all he surveyed, Raithwall's was a benevolent and just reign,
guiding the Alliance for near half a century. After his death, the Alliance
held firm and knew peace and prosperity for four hundred years until its
dissolution with the passing of the last of Raithwall's direct descendants.
* * * * * * * * *
058 - Lesser Chimera / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Cockatrice
Observations: In times now ancient, mages worked magicks upon captured
cockatrices to effect the eldritch creation of these twisted beings. They are
possessed of a singularly wicked intellect, which they use to its full extent
for the infliction of pain upon their enemies.
Their wings shine as the rainbow, each bearing a blazing red eye marking that
shifts from side to side as they move, these being used to discourage foes
larger than they, and for purposes of attracting a mate during the mating
season.
Sage Knowledge (38 of 78): Jagd: Regions of Mist-laden winds and magicite-rich
soil, precluding the proper operation of skystone.
Shifts in weather have been known to make jagd where once there was none,
though the reverse has never been recorded by the chroniclers of such things.
As airships cannot operate in jagd, no such region is under the control of a
major country, making the jagds lawless, perilous places.
* * * * * * * * *
059 - Zombie Mage / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Behold the fate of the sorcerer who seeks to satisfy his dark
intellectual curiosity by means of the abnormal extension of his natural
lifespan!
Alas, though all manner of precaution be taken, he cannot stop the wearying
gradual decay of the flesh.
Yet what other means hath he to know the mysteries of this world? How many
have walked his grim path?
We shall never know, for they guard their secrets fiercely with tooth and
nail to their graves and beyond.
Aletap Rumors: When we think of travelers, we think, perhaps, of people without
ties to any place or thing... but this is not so! Take, for instance, clothing.
The longer the journey one intends to make, the more important the clothes you
must pack.
Of the many choices available, traveler's vestments are held in highest
esteem.
Made of braid wool and tanned hides, purchase one of these, and you've bought
yourself a lightweight garment that feels great against the skin, with little
or no chafing!
Tongo, Morpher Apprentice
* * * * * * * * *
060 - Skull Warrior / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Cold bones sheathed in armor forged of a strong alloy, wielding a
blade with more skill and more cruelty than any warrior alive. Perhaps all were
as skilled in the forgotten past, for this undead creature's bearing, arms, and
armor are of an ancient style.
Indeed, the skull warrior's skill with a spear illuminates the old ways of
war in a fashion more vivid and fearsome than any tome on the subject could
hope to effect. Though pale by comparison, even a modern interpretation of the
spearman's art is not to be underestimated when employed by a dedicated
practitioner.
The Town Crier: Hear ye! Announcing a feat of hunting mastery such as the world
has never seen! Donatelos the White Mage has trounced all existing records in
the annual city gathering of hunters. As you know, each year contestants vie to
see who might slay the most creatures designated as that year's quarry.
This year's target: the fiendish skull warrior! A tally has been made of
broken spears retrieved, and Donatelos has distinguished himself for eternity
with an incredible haul of 126! Honor to the champion!
* * * * * * * * *
061 - Lich / Genus - Undead / Classification - Ghost
Observations: Of the legions of ghosts that cling to this world, the greatest
are called liches.
When a man dies with hatred enduring, he is rent from his station in this
life, and given new station in undeath according to the depth of his passion...
a testament indeed to the depths of the evil manifest in these kings among the
dead.
Sage Knowledge (5 of 78): House Solidor: A noble Archadian family having a
permanent seat on the Senate, and de facto control over the Ministry of Law.
In the days following Archadia's establishment as an empire, House Solidor
found itself in opposition to the then-powerful military. Having won the
ensuing struggle, it then initiated far-reaching revisions to the law in an
attempt to prevent any further challenge to its supremacy. Subsequently, the
Ministry of Law was created to monitor the military, with the order of Judges
at its head.
House Solidor's firm grip on the workings of the Empire can be felt to this
day, with Emperor Gramis the fourth in a succession of Solidor emperors.
* * * * * * * * *
062 - Ragoh / Genus - Construct / Classification - Facer
Observations: Once a proud statue set to protect the Tomb of Raithwall for all
eternity, the blades and horns on its head being symbols of the Dynast-King's
authority and power.
On a fell day, monsters intruded the sanctum of the tomb, and with them came
a great surge in the Mist within. Perhaps this caused the mechanisms of its
control to fail, for now it is no better than the beasts it was charged to keep
away, and it will rampage down death-corridors until it is given its final
rest.
Sage Knowledge (52 of 78): The Tomb of Raithwall: West of the Jagd Yensa, deep
in the Valley of the Dead, lies the tomb of Dynast-King Raithwall, a titanic
stone structure built during the age of the Galtean Alliance to celebrate his
subjugation of the lands bordering the Naldoan sea.
Inside can be found many technologies and architectural marvels beyond the
ken of modern man. In addition to Raithwall's crypt, the tomb contains
priceless royal treasure, and only those with proof of direct lineage are
suffered within. Intruders are met with traps and guardians most terrible.
Though the sky pirates know of the treasure's existence, none have succeeded in
its theft as yet.
* * * * * * * * *
063 - Tallow / Genus - Amorph / Classification - Flan
Observations: Being an amorph appearing most often in those ancient ruins of
religious power and ensorceled bearing.
The nodules of metal that float freely through its body suggest a previous
existence as a statue, perhaps set to guard whatever building the ruins once
were. Regardless, it has now melted beyond recognition.
The inexhaustible flame atop its head is the source of its life-energy,
leading some to theorize (and not without merit) that the flame is indeed a
fire elemental forever bound to a strange, slimy master.
Sage Knowledge (4 of 78): House Dalmasca: Bloodline begun by the second prince
of Dalmasca to take up the mantle of rule after King Raithwall's passing.
The reign of Raithwall's direct descendants, House Galtea, drew to a close
after 400 years, marking the end of the Galtean Alliance, and the beginning of
rule by House Dalmasca.
Dalmascan reign continued for nearly seven centuries, until the Archadian
invasion brought their era to an end.
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< 3.8 - OZMONE PLAIN > [ BT08 ]
064 - Mesmenir / Genus - Beast / Classification - Sleipnir
Observations: Being a breed of sleipnir conditioned to be the perfect faithful
war-horse.
Uncannily skilled in warfare, able to sense the moment and flow of battle,
and carry out maneuvers of some difficulty, such as the timely withdrawal from
a fray to regroup and strike anew.
The conditioning wrought on these creatures by the masters for whom they once
fought was so steely that even after countless generations of breeding in the
wild, it has faded not in the slightest. A tragedy indeed, for they consider
all those not hailing from their long deserted homeland to be enemies, and
attack on sight.
The History of Things: At precisely what point the polished destrier mane came
to be used as a device for the casting of magicks is unclear.
The noble steeds from whence such mane-coverings came were named by a
sorcerer, however, and perhaps this association has given them their magickal
properties.
As tools for the castings of magicks go, these are among the best.
* * * * * * * * *
065 - Chocobo / Genus - Avion / Classification - Chocobo
Observations: What creature, fair or foul, has affected the lives of the common
man more than the noble chocobo?
Though the yellow chocobo is by far the most common, and the only
domesticable sort, many other wild breeds of differing hues have been
identified. In general, the other colorations of chocobo tend to be quite
violent, giving rise to the saying: "Yellow, best for riding; aught else, best
be hiding."
As even tame chocobos are known for their temper, true domestication requires
time and experience. Their curiosity can often get them into trouble, but they
are charming nevertheless, and popular throughout Ivalice. As famed naturalist
Merlose once wrote: "a little personality goeth a long way."
The Town Crier: Hear ye, hear ye! Good news for those knights who are sensitive
of nose!
Thanks to recent discoveries, you can bid a fond farewell to troublesome
chocobo odors!
The method is simple: ply your chocobo chick with only fresh gysahl greens,
and that disconcertingly disgusting stench will diminish by up to three
quarters!
The news isn't all good, however, as it takes two to three years to raise a
chocobo to riding age, meaning that the fragrant fruits of your labor won't
ripen for some time.
* * * * * * * * *
066 - Wu / Genus - Beast / Classification - Urstrix
Observations: The feathers of this strain of urstrix carry a distinctly bluish
hue, on account of their craving for the flesh of the blue-furred panther.
Though its wings have evolved such that it may no longer fly, its hind legs
have developed to allow it to walk on land without difficulty. It has adapted
remarkably well to life on the ground, being able to perform delicate actions
with its vestigial wings, such as the carrying and holding of prey.
Sage Knowledge (70 of 78): Ozmone Plain: Wide region of plains in Bancour,
bordering Dalmasca. Mostly tall grasses, though here and there can be seen
volcanic rock formations.
In the past, a great battle was fought in the skies over Ozmone Plain. The
decaying airshipwrecks punctuating the plains are monuments to the carnage once
wrought there.
* * * * * * * * *
067 - Zu / Genus - Avion / Classification - Diver
Observations: An avion whose beak has regressed, turning into jagged teeth like
those of a tyrant wyrm.
They have not a feather on their bodies, but instead are covered with a taut,
thin membrane, reducing wind resistance so that they may fly extremely fast
when necessary, and with little or no effort at other times.
Thus throughout the day do they circle the sky, waiting for prey to appear
upon the ground below.
Talk About Town: Fang of bat, phial of yellow liquid...
Crooked fang, phial of yellow liquid...
Hrm? What's that? Don't mind me. I'm merely repeating the goods I need to
exchange to get my hands on some new ammunition, lest I forget. They're not
easy things to come by, you know.
Mersam, Treasure-Hunter
* * * * * * * * *
068 - Viper / Genus - Beast / Classification - Serpent
Observations: Being a strain of serpent, its body covered in leaden scales, and
its mouth replete with razor-sharp fangs.
Favoring small animals and their eggs, it secretes a deadly venom from its
fangs which swiftly subdues its prey. Its midriff is divided in twain, each
side containing a stomach with strong digestive juices, connected to a long
intestinal tract running down the tail.
Their slender forms seem to suggest that they seldom eat, but this is far
from the truth, their unique digestive biology giving them a famously voracious
appetite.
Sage Knowledge (69 of 78): Jahara: A garif village in Bancour. Here, a
chieftain elder watches over the old ways, and so administers the tribe. Though
many other villages dot the area, there is little direct communication between
them.
The garif have worshipped magicite since ancient times, and tribal legends
tend much wisdom concerning the Stones. When the time is right, the elders
teach these lessons to the youth of the village, and, on rare occasion, to
visitors from other lands.
Abhorring machinery and iron, much of the garif material culture is based on
wood and stone and other unmanufacted things. Their houses made of grasses and
strips of leather allow a breeze to pass through, and are uniquely suited to
the hot, arid climate.
On the hill overlooking the village is a meeting lodge, warmed always by a
bonfire. Near the lodge are the elders' huts, and below the hill is a clearing
ringed by a healer's hut, and the tents of craftsmen, as well as a place to
take care of the livestock, called "nanna" in the garif tongue.
Dalmasca has for many years honored the ways of the garif, and so kept up
peaceful trade and relations with this isolated people.
* * * * * * * * *
069 - Zaghnal / Genus - Giant / Classification - Behemoth
Observations: Being a monster with the stature of a man. When the range of the
werewolf spread into the southern plains, they adapted to their new
environment, standing on two legs to better see across the vast savannah.
Their thin blue fur breathes well and retains moisture, perfectly
accommodating the dramatic temperature change between night and day. Though
they do not travel in packs, individuals are clearly ranked, and the weak
always follow the lead of the strong.
Sage Knowledge (27 of 78): The Espers: Beings of strange form and appearance
made by the gods in ancient times. Favored with great strength and intellect,
the Espers knew power far beyond that of men, but their power made them proud,
and at length they sought to challenge the gods.
Seeing this, the gods were angered and struck down their blessed children,
and binding their souls and flesh with the Glyph of the Beast, they stole their
freedom for all eternity.
Now they are bound to live only when summoned by their Glyph, to serve
whosoever called them forth.
* * * * * * * * *
070 - Hybrid Gator / Genus - Beast / Classification - Gator
Observations: Being a strain of gator originally accustomed to rivers in the
tropics, later having adapted to a changing clime, and life upon the hard land.
Their black fur absorbs and then traps in the sun's warmth, allowing them to
maintain their body heat even when the weather changes for the worse. The head
is set inside the cleft in the upper jaw, over which they peer from deep
eyeholes, on the lookout for prey and predators alike.
Sage Knowledge (12 of 78): Magicite: Common name for stones containing magickal
power, or as it is commonly manifest, Mist.
There exist varieties: Spellstone, being used for the preparation and working
of magicks, Skystone, giving flight to airships, and Memstone, holding fast
sounds heard and visions seen, that they might be experienced again.
Though their color, shape, and size may differ, these have no bearing on the
quality of the stone. Some of the smallest stones are the most powerful, and
some of the largest contain only a small amount of Mist, and are as good as
useless.
It is a property of magicite that it lose its Mist over time, and once spent,
a stone's Mist cannot be renewed. Magicite without Mist is mere rock. The
ability to manufact magicite of some power has only recently been attained, and
this after many long years of research.
* * * * * * * * *
071 - Sylphi Entite / Genus - Sylphi Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: To aid the weak, the gods sent knowledge on the winds.
The winds loft the seed of flower and tree, tell of the approach of beasts,
and carry the voice of an ally. But Man cut down the trees, slew the beasts,
and screamed in the waste he had created. The gods sorrowed and raged, and sent
a great vortex to flay the world of Man to dust. The vast energy so released
gave rise to the sylphi entite.
The Entite Pact: The Wind is fickle, going where it will, brushing like
maiden's hair on the cheek, bewitching men, and holding them captive.
Take the wild wind, traveler, and give it virtue through fortitude of
immobilizing Earth. For wind, once frozen, is a promise. And on the day that
promise is broken, will it surrender unto you shining electrum.
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< 3.9 - GOLMORE JUNGLE > [ BT09 ]
072 - Panther / Genus - Beast / Classification - Coeurl
Observations: Being a great flesh-eater, with pale rippling-blue fur, and long
whiskers extending from the corners of its mouth.
These predators move in packs of two or three, dividing roles as do hunters
with a far greater than animal intelligence. The breadth of their territory
varies with the amount of prey available, and in those places where food is
scarce, they increase their range so as to avoid starvation.
Sage Knowledge (72 of 78): Golmore Jungle: A sprawling jungle in the Jagd
Difohr, it remains much as it always has been, untouched by the hand of Man.
Though the viera make their villages within this jungle, the ways to their
enclaves are tangled and hidden.
Barriers throughout the jungle, too, prevent easy passage. These were erected
by the viera to prevent outsiders from intruding, the blessing of their people
needed before one may pass.
* * * * * * * * *
073 - Treant / Genus - Plant / Classification - Golem
Observations: A variety of golem, having a body like the trunk of a tree.
Indeed, they are known for their habit of blending into wooded surroundings,
silently waiting to bring their massive fists down upon any who disturb the
peace of the forest. It is said they are the manifestation of the forest's
lament at the loss of trees to the jaws of insatiable industry.
Sage Knowledge (71 of 78): Eruyt Village: Hidden village of viera in Golmore
Jungle. Viera enclaves are scattered throughout the jungle, but all are warded
against entry by those of other tribes or lands. Viera are reclusive by nature,
living separate from the world outside, shunning even the society of their own
kind, save when necessity demands.
This isolation is in part made possible by the viera ability to hear the
spirit voice of the Wood, and thereby know all that comes to pass within Her
borders.
Throughout the history of Ivalice, rarely have the viera ventured beyond the
borders of the Wood, and few outsiders know of their laws or customs.
Viera villages are formed of massive trees linked by suspended paths, with
dwellings and small shrines to the spirit of the Wood encircling the trunks.
During the day, many viera come to a clearing in the village, where a
glistering spring bubbles up from the earth, to meditate. Their leader resides
in the center of the village, and governs according to the Word of the Wood.
Those who perform the sacred ceremonial duties of salve-maker or wood-warder
stand at her side, defending the ways of the village and of the viera.
Compared to other races, the viera seem to move at a slower, more
contemplative pace, more at peace with the flow of time. However, some younger
viera have begun to question the wisdom of rejecting change in the midst of a
rapidly developing Ivalice.
* * * * * * * * *
074 - Hellhound / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Being a hunter of the highest order, with a body of jet black,
and an aura of eldritch ensorcelment, it would chase its quarry to the very
gates of the underworld.
Originally a type of hyena, a steady diet of malign, magicked creatures
transmogrified it into what it is today.
The sharp horn on its nose and long fangs jutting from its upper jaw are like
to arrested magma. When they die, their color fades, becoming naught but dull,
black stone.
Sage Knowledge (32 of 78): Kerwon: Largely forested continent lying to the
southeast of Ordalia.
Climate varies greatly by region, and many less hospitable areas are
uninhabited. In the west of Kerwon dwell the garif, in the wooded north dwell
the viera, both living in peace, apparently unaffected by the expansionist
hunger which has so dominated hume history.
Though the hume presence is strong on the other continents, in Kerwon they
can only be found in the eastern highlands, on the slopes of the holy mountain
of Kiltia, Bur-Omisace.
* * * * * * * * *
075 - Diresaur / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Tyrant
Observations: Being a creature of dubious origin: either a wyvern that has lost
its wings, or a creature of the water that became like to a wyrm.
Sheathed in armor-like scales, its upper body is highly muscular, serving to
support a giant head set with powerful jaws. It uses the horn on its nose to
charge and stab like a longspear.
Talk About Town: Did you know that servants are only legally allowed to wear
garments of a certain fabric? Turns out, this law is a relic of the time when
it was necessary to differentiate slaves form their owners, and perhaps it
still serves the same function today.
Funny thing is, servants have to wear the selfsame fabric used to make slaven
harnesses. Ah, 'tis an evil law, perpetuated by evil people.
* * * * * * * * *
076 - Malboro / Genus - Plant / Classification - Malboro
Observations: Being a hideous creature with brownish-green mottled skin, and
writhing tentacles.
It eats only of flesh, drawing no sustenance from photosynthesis as do common
plants. Favoring stealth, it approaches its prey in silence, then strikes
without warning, swallowing its victim whole. Its maw is filled with powerfully
acidic saliva, and breathing the miasma that is its foul breath causes
poisoning and madness.
Sage Knowledge (22 of 78): Clans: A group formed for the main purpose of
driving beasts and fiends from civilized areas, called to action in
particularly bad cases, when individuals and town watchers are not deemed equal
to the task. Able to react more swiftly than equivalent military units, the
clans are used by many smaller municipalities as rapid-response peacekeepers.
As a result, few clans' activities need heed the boundaries between
territories, and they move freely across wastes and sacred lands alike.
* * * * * * * * *
077 - Gargoyle / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: Being a creature with a visage so hideous, even other demons are
said to avert their eyes. Their form is derived from the carvings on churches
and shrines designed to keep away evil spirits.
The reputed effectiveness of such carvings led to their placement on many
buildings throughout the world, until their grotesque form became a common
sight.
This angered the demons, and in the spirit of wicked playfulness, some of
them took the form of the very creations meant to drive them away.
Aletap Rumors: When is a sword like a torch? When it's a flametongue!
If I'd some lumber, and a malboro vine, and a little bit of firestone, even I
could make one. Well, I could have one made... provided I could find a good
enough smithy, that is.
* * * * * * * * *
078 - Great Malboro / Genus - Plant / Classification - Malboro
Observations: On reaching an advanced age, some malboros have been known to
transform into an entirely different variety of malboro, gaining rank within
the vegetative hierarchy, as it were.
This phenomenon, known as the spirit-tree flux, is found only in plants and
related beings (for few other phyla enjoy such long life), and is thought to be
due to the absorption of Mist over several centuries. Such malboros' bodies
turn the color of a rich, argent ore, the saliva in their maws emitting a still
fouler stench than before.
Research Notes: The question of how exactly malboros produce their infamous bad
breath has puzzled researchers for generations.
A situation made all the more frustrating by the knowledge that understanding
the production process would be the first step toward creating a neutralizing
agent, not to mention adapting the stench for military use.
However, years of painstaking inquiry have revealed only that the noxious
fumes emanate from the foul liquid that constitutes the creature's saliva: a
substance which can be manufacted by no means known to Man.
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< 3.10 - THE HENNE MINES > [ BT10 ]
079 - Thunderbug / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mimic
Observations: Being a battery mimic that, due to Mist exposure, has left the
normal course of its development and become something altogether different.
As a result of the rapid changes induced by Mist, much of its form is twisted
and misshapen.
A residual static charge helps this creature to regulate its temperature, and
generate the energy necessary to break down the materials from which it draws
sustenance.
Its body is an example of evolution gone horribly awry, and many natural
philosophers have suggested that it is in a very much terminal state, seeing no
possible further permutation of form through which this creature has not
already been.
A Curious Treasure: Curious indeed is this organ capable of capturing the very
power of lightning.
Made of metal, and yet flesh. Lines made of a metallic substance trace this
gizzard like the strands of a spider's web, running thence throughout the
creature's body like our veins, delivering energy where it is needed. These
lines hold fast lightning, never relinquishing a drop while their host is
whole. Natural philosophers call this organ the charged gizzard.
* * * * * * * * *
080 - Jelly / Genus - Amorph / Classification - Flan
Observations: Being a variant of flan covered in a glistening, jewel-like
slime. These are known to cluster in areas with machinery and like devices,
seeming to derive energy from their operation, which stimulates them to divide
and multiply.
Because of this flan's odd ecology, they are often found in cities and near
residences where people and, more critically, their technologies are found,
this proximity creating a real danger of jelly breakouts.
Countless are the tales of villages and small towns consumed whole by a mass
of quivering slime.
Sage Knowledge (74 of 78): The Henne Magicite Mines: Crystal mines in the
mountainous region of Bancour still producing a great variety of magicite, even
as other mines around them close, their veins dry and spent.
The Archadian Empire possesses mining rights here, making this a key location
for their acquisition of the stones, bypassing intermediaries and fluctuating
markets.
* * * * * * * * *
081 - Tyranorox / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Tyrant
Observations: Being a creature tough as stone, draped in scales hard as
granite-rock, and bearing orange coloration on its upper body.
While evolution has favored its hind legs with speed and strength, its
forelimbs have shrunk, developing sharp claws for the tearing of hide and
flesh.
The name of the tyranorox, meaning "one who frightens the very rocks," comes
from the great saurian's habit of eating the wee creatures that dwell in the
crevices of rocky mountain ranges, often swallowing a mouthfull of rock in the
process.
Sage Knowledge (13 of 78): Nethicite: A variety of magicite with the unusual
property of absorbing Mist, thereby nullifying the effects of magick. Though
there is some mention of nethicite in ancient tomes, it had been thought lost,
or perhaps consumed, with no mention or record appearing for several centuries.
Sky pirates call it the magicite of legend.
Latterly, methods for manufacting nethicite have been developed in Archades,
and at the time of writing, several test samples are in active use.
* * * * * * * * *
082 - Hecteyes / Genus - Amorph / Classification - Flan
Observations: Being an amorph possessing many eyes. It is a little known fact
that of these eyes, only the foremost pair actually function. The others are
thought to be a clever sort of mimicry intended to confuse those who might
strike at the creature's real eyes, and to discourage ambush withal.
Unlike most flan, these do not reproduce by division of the entire body.
Rather, small nodules protrude from the eye-spots, these then detaching from
the creature, having attained sufficient mass, to form autonomous offspring.
The Town Crier: Hear ye! The patent for ether, held for years by EC Magicks &
Apothecaries, has expired today!
Thus ends the group's second monopoly on a popular philtre. The first, the
ever-popular potion, came down sharply in price resultant of competition from
other makers following the patent's release. Prices on unpurified ether are
expected to drop in similar fashion over the coming weeks.
* * * * * * * * *
083 - Gizamaluk / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Being a variety of plate wyrm, its eyes impaired by eons of
living in deep magicite mines.
In place of sight, it has developed the ability to sense tiny eddies and
fluctuations in the Mist's flow, allowing it to determine the position of
enemies with preternatural accuracy.
Its translucent, insect-like wings have atrophied to the point where they may
no longer sustain flight, but still its sharp claws and fangs make this wyrm of
the deep a foe to be feared.
Aletap Rumors: Show me the alchemist who doesn't wish in his heart of hearts to
know the secret behind making an elixir, and I'll show you a fraud! Of course,
he might already know it... but it's taboo to reveal the ingredients. That's
why they all toil in solitude, though their goal be the same.
Now, I spied an alchemist hard at work the other day. Seemed to me he was
working at making an elixir, so I watched him for a good long while. And he
looked as if he was trying to catch something, so he did. If I didn't know any
better, why, I'd say he was trying to pick souls out of the air... Not a very
likely story, I know, but that's what it looked like, sure enough.
Tyak, Master Chef
* * * * * * * * *
084 - Etem / Genus - Undead / Classification - Reaper
Observations: Being casualties of invasion or oppression, these entities appear
before those who are doomed to die, cutting away their victims' lives with
cruel scythes, out of hatred for the men who ended theirs.
Many accounts hold these creatures to be a sort of grim reaper, but recent
research has confirmed them to be nothing more than ghosts.
The Town Crier: Hear ye, hear ye! Another Day of Dust has come and gone, and
what a day it was! On what other day can you have fey dust sprinkled upon your
forehead, instantly absolving you of all sin and evil?
Of course, it's not always such a day of rejoicing. Why, last year, shipments
of the dust, known as soul powder, were waylaid and merchants everywhere sold
out of the stuff far too quickly. This year, stock was set aside in advance,
and all who wished to participate could.
* * * * * * * * *
085 - Nightmare / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Nightmare
Observations: Being a nightmarish equine creature, living in deep forests,
possessing strange external organs that twist and wind like snakes.
Though they have the bearing of herbivores at first glance, the positioning
of their eyes and the set of their musculature are those of the flesh-eater,
and indeed their teeth are sharp, being made for the tearing of tendon and
hide.
They are relentlessly aggressive, never abandoning a pursuit once the quarry
has been sighted.
Ivalice: The Wayfarer's Guide: The uncharted wooded marches known as the
Forests of Chaos are spoken of in legend, and though many are said to exist,
little is known of their actual location.
These dense forests, where the snowflies foregather in great flurries,
brushing against the faces of all who pass, are so named because the sound of
the snowflies' whirring wings pitch even the halest of wayfarers into
confusion. They wander, lost, never again to leave the forest.
While the marches may hide countless treasures, they are also places of
unknown and unknowable danger. Consider your future, wayfarer. Consider your
fate, and venture not into such places.
* * * * * * * * *
086 - Necrofiend / Genus - Undead / Classification - Ghost
Observations: Witness the fate of those whose learned minds were offered up in
sacrifice by alchemists performing forbidden rites in pursuit of eternal life.
These monstrosities live forever on the border between life and death,
neither breathing the sweet air, nor knowing the peace of eternal rest.
Though they retain dim memories of their former lives and knowledge, their
hearts were sundered long ago, and they are without morality or honor, wholly
consumed by jealousy of the living.
A Curious Treasure: They say that the candle's flame is the shining of a soul.
As the life dwindles and fades toward the end of its days, so does the flame
flicker, gradually dimming until it disappears in a whiff of smoke.
If the flame is the soul, then the smoke is the soul ascending to heaven.
So did the candle earn its place in ceremony, and these tallows are called
lifewicks.
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< 3.11 - PARAMINA RIFT > [ BT11 ]
087 - White Wolf / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Being a variety of wolf adapted to life in the frozen mountain
regions, with long white fur to protect it from the bitter cold, and camouflage
it against the snow.
Their shining blue eyes can see even in the fiercest blizzard, useful in
judging the position of others in the pack when coordinating attacks.
Sage Knowledge (77 of 78): Paramina Rift: Comprising a great ravine running
through the mountains of the Jagd Ramooda, this is a barren land covered in
hoarfrost and deep snows. The spent shells of airships hang in the frozen
river, and here and there can be seen the ruins of great cities built during
the years of the Galtean Alliance.
Many are the scholars who believe that the Paramina Rift was once a rich and
verdant land, and that a climate change brought about by the Mist made it into
the cold, harsh jagd we see today.
* * * * * * * * *
088 - Twintania / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Being a strain of plate wyrm residing in the dark reaches of the
Paramina Rift, having evolved a feathered covering to protect against the harsh
cold.
Its smooth, metallic carapace is coated in an oily secretion which prevents
snow from adhering to its surface.
According to legend, mages once used these creatures in the working of a
great magick, powerful enough to destroy all Ivalice, yet little is recorded
about the magick itself.
Aletap Rumors: The undying phoenix is said to call back souls from the heavens,
but to win the attention of such a fabled bird, you must give up a feather as
an offering. The best are the downy feathers of the tail... hence the term
phoenix down, see?
Mark well that not just any feather will do. Depending on quality and size,
the blessing received varies greatly.
Displeased?
You get what you pay for.
Kirrik, Pugilist
* * * * * * * * *
089 - Lizard / Genus - Beast / Classification - Toad
Observations: Being a flesh-eating beast with four horns atop its head,
sheathed in scales much like those of a dragon.
Lives in humid grasslands, where it digs tunnels with its powerful forelimbs.
Its extendable tongue, situated toward the front of its mouth, is divided
into four at the tip. The creature uses it as a whip to snare prey. Thus
captured, still-wriggling meals are bound in viscous saliva, and stored for
later consumption.
Street-Corner Mutterings: You've heard of wind stones and ice stones, right?
Well, my friend, there is a stone more powerful than either... magicite!
Oh... you, er, knew that, did you? What's that you say? There's aught more
powerful than magicite?
Crystals, they're called?
Well that's something I've not seen.
Eh? And there's another stone more powerful still?
Kennie, Time Mage
* * * * * * * * *
090 - Emperor Aevis / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Called "emperor' for the intricate pattern upon its wings, much
resembling exquisite embroideries such as one might find upon an emperor's
robe.
Living mainly in deep ravines and gulches in mountainous terrain, their
eyesight has deteriorated in the dark so that now they hunt primarily by their
other senses. They sense much through their distinctive horn, which serves
withal as a vicious weapon for the impaling of foes.
Sage Knowledge (28 of 78): Wyrmbreath: What could be more terrible than the
breath of the mighty dragon? Not many know that this fearsome weapon is indeed
a wholly natural emission generated in a large gland, rather prosaically named
"the breath-sac." Thus, wyrmbreath is a purely physical manifestation of
searing flame, and on that has provided an impromptu pyre for many an
overzealous adventurer.
* * * * * * * * *
091 - Garuda-Egi / Genus - Avion / Classification - Diver
Observations: Being the legendary foe of the wyrms, as told in The Legend of
the Dragoons.
Living atop only the highest peaks, they feed primarily on serpents.
Natural philosophers have confirmed the existence of two distinct kinds: the
garuda, whose glimmering gold wings distinguish it as original stock, and the
garuda-egi, whose wings have lost their brilliant luster.
Many are the cultures that regard these creatures as gods for their
auspicious appearance.
On the Extraction of Elements: Now it is generally held that the sun has an
affinity for fire. However, according to those natural philosophers who have
studied white incense, the sun's allegiance lies not with flame, but with holy
power.
This, of course, discredits the theory that the sun is but a large, fiery
sphere, and has led wiser men to suggest that the sun is indeed a holy object,
to which flame has clung: a base light yearning for a higher power.
* * * * * * * * *
092 - Dark Skeleton / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Being the black-boned demon-skeleton of a man whose strength
faltered and failed in a place rife with darkness.
They are driven by the need to create more of their ilk, and so they exude
dark energies, polluting all around them.
The greater their number in a given area, the more likely it is that others
will join their eternal vigil.
The Jobber's Gazette: 'Tis a well-known fact that black mages head off into the
wilderness several times a year, clutching a death's-head from a dark skeleton
tightly in their hands, but few know why they travel or where they go. Rumors
speak of shady gatherings, or pilgrimages to the underworld, where demons
impart dark secrets to them in return for grisly sacrifice, but such
explanations are little more than idle conjecture.
Though nonetheless prized for their skills, this mysterious custom has earned
black mages a rather unsavory reputation.
* * * * * * * * *
093 - Slaven Warder / Genus - Giant / Classification - Slaven
Observations: Being beasts once used to pull freight sledges filled with heavy
materials over rough, mountainous terrain.
With innovations in transportation, they grew scarce, and now only a few
remain, and these feral.
Stories of fat under the thick hide of their backs provided sustenance when
famine visited the cold, barren climes where they once worked. Observers have
attested to the impressive efficacy of these deposits, individuals having
reportedly survived for over a year without nourishment.
The Art of Collecting, Excerpt: Those who are slaves to another, be they
humanoid, hume, or beast, must wear a harness with the brand of their master,
proving ownership.
Most such brands bear the mark of noble houses, and amongst them can
occasionally be seen the crests of houses long since fallen.
Scholars and collectors covet the harnesses of such forgotten dynasties
either for their historical value, or merely for their rarity. Of these, the
slaven harness is the most prized.
* * * * * * * * *
094 - Skull Knight / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Being an ancient knight whose elegant bearing betrays nothing of
the weight of his thick steel armor. He wields a spear with the expert grace of
elder times.
In the distant past, in a war fought in a land of extreme cold, those that
lost their lives became undead, being hence forth called "The Brothers of
Bone." Their numbers being equal to the losses on both sides, returning them
all to the land's warm embrace would be an epic undertaking.
Sage Knowledge (76 of 78): Mt Bur-Omisace: The sacred mountain of the Kiltia
sect, located to the north of the Jagd Ramooda.
A temple was built here by believers to mark the place where the founder of
the Light of Kiltia began to spread the teachings. There are accounts of the
holy city here dating back to writings from the age of the Galtean Alliance.
In its long history, Mt Bur-Omisace has never fallen under the control of any
foreign power. On the understanding that Kiltia's followers would exempt
themselves from political dealings in other lands, Kingdom and Empire both
formed a pact to guarantee the holy city's independence, an agreement which
stands to this day.
It would not be an error to call Mt Bur-Omisace itself a shrine to Kiltia.
Apart from the temples, there are only a few residences, with roadside shops
catering to the steady stream of pilgrims.
In recent years, refugees from war-torn lands have gathered here, forming
camps on part of the mountain. The priests of Kiltia give them aid that they
might live here in peace.
As Mt Bur-Omisace is surrounded by jagd, the faithful must cross the Inner
Naldoan Sea by boat in their pilgrimage to the holy city.
* * * * * * * * *
095 - Yeti / Genus - Giant / Classification - Behemoth
Observations: A thick coat of fur is the perfect protection against the cold in
the snow-covered mountain ranges where these creatures reside.
In olden times it was said that mountain gods lived in the snowy crags, and
villagers would offer them sacrifices for their good favor. Now it is widely
believed that these "gods" were, in fact, yeti who had succeeded in cowing
superstitious local residents.
A Curious Treasure: Now, it is a well-known fact among researchers of arctic
monstrosities that the yeti possesses lungs of particular fascination,
operating as they do at a temperature colder than ice, making them well-suited
to the breathing of frigid air.
Unique structures within the yeti's lungs cause atmospheric moisture to form
icy tubes, with openings on either side which permit the flow of air.
Over time, these tubular structures grow ever more intricate, and when they
are later forcibly removed from the yeti's chest cavity, they become the
curious objects known as arctic winds, and are highly collectable.
* * * * * * * * *
096 - Ice Elemental / Genus - Ice Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being an elemental of ice from the freezing blizzards of the
North.
The coming of such beings is perceived differently by the various peoples of
Ivalice: to some, it is a holy thing, blessed and ephemeral as the passing
seasons; to others, it is the harbinger of hard times.
As a matter of fact, cold spells do visit the places where ice elementals
gather, but research into the precise nature of their relationship with the
weather is frozen, so to speak, no new discoveries having been made in years.
Aletap Rumors: Know you of the magepower shishak?
'Tis said it is a helm made to heighten the magickal powers of knights!
Helpful when you spend long years training your body, and few years training
your mind.
I've heard they use chimera heads to give it the magicks it needs. Gives one
cause to think that even the savage chimera's brighter than your average sword-
swinger.
Floe, Seer of the Way
* * * * * * * * *
097 - Wild Onion / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Thought to be a variant of mandragora, for the vines that reach
up from its collar, covering its face like a mask.
Notes the famed naturalist Merlose: "It weareth its skin in layers, much like
to the root of similar name, perhaps for the proffering of protection 'gainst
the cold. Men say the great gaping orifice on its face was gouged by a shard of
ice born of a midsummer blizzard. Though its former mouth was passing small,
befitting naught but low whimp'ring, its prodigious new one screameth full loud
and full much as the foul beast could want, thence earning it its name."
Street-Corner Mutterings: There's plenty of work in the world.
I don't know what it is you want to become, but take my advice: look at the
tricks of many trades, and look well. If nothing else, the knowledge you gain
will help you on your travels.
And visit shops frequently: you'll find what you need sooner or later.
Nakhiro, Onion Knight
* * * * * * * * *
098 - Leshach Entite / Genus - Leshach Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Long ago, the gods looked down upon the warring peoples of this
land and were displeased.
Wishing to contain their violence, the gods arrested time upon the
battlefield, thinking to imprison those who fought there.
But violence would not be so contained. It spread beyond its confines,
contaminating other lands, and soon conflict was rampant once again.
In their grief, the gods made a scourging blizzard to rage, and when the
blizzard lifted, men looked to the skies and found they were alone.
This fateful tumult is said to have given birth to the leshach entite.
The Entite Pact: Madman! Seal all you love in ice, yet know that in the ice you
will see not your own reflection, but that of others. Jealousy!
With raging thunderbolt held high, take the fickle ice captive. Only then
will your heart be freed, and from within the ice, the shining electrum be
revealed.
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< 3.12 - THE STILSHRINE OF MIRIAM > [ BT12 ]
099 - Redmaw / Genus - Avion / Classification - Steeling
Observations: Being a variety of steeling whose body is covered in hard scales
like to those of a dragon. It prefers to make its home in dry underground
caverns.
The name "redmaw" comes from the fact that the creature's mouth is ever
painted crimson with the drinking of its victims' blood.
Its vampyric bite delivers a numbing venom sufficient to kill even the
largest of fiends, should its fangs go deep enough.
Sage Knowledge (6 of 78): Sky Pirates: A name for the freefolk who ply the open
skies in airships. Though they are collectively called "pirates," their actual
occupations vary by individual. Some search for legendary treasures, some
merely travel the world, while others are indeed ruthless villains who attack
trade ships and plunder goods for profit. In recent years, the Archadian Empire
has stepped up patrols, bringing in the worst of the lot, all but consigning
the more flamboyant feats of piracy to history. Of late, many are the pirates
who have given up the thief's life for that of the headhunter, bringing their
former comrades-in-arms to justice... for a bounty. Those few who remain
pirates have struggled hard to retain the title, and are duly proud of it.
* * * * * * * * *
100 - Zombie Warrior / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Should they be cursed to live on in undeath, men who were
soldiers in life become zombie warriors. In the cruel past, it was customary
for those who fell in battle to be denied eternal rest by their masters and
magicked to serve them after death as zombies - a tragic fate that has earned
the zombie warrior more sympathy than others of its ilk.
Aletap Rumors: There were some spies that come into the barracks the other day,
but they got away before we could nab 'em.
They was wearin' black cowls just right, so as not to be seen. Don't get me
wrong, I ain't praisin' 'em, but if you'd seen some o' them things they was
wearin', made o' fine wool an' tyrant hide, you'd've been impressed too.
Baro, Soldier
* * * * * * * * *
101 - Blood Gigas / Genus - Giant / Classification - Headless
Observations: Being a cruel headless giant, born from the spilled blood of a
demon.
It views the world through the eye enchained across its chest, the pupil of
which is said to be a window onto the underworld. Some say that to stare into
this eye is to show your soul to the darkness, and that those foolish enough to
do so are instantly consumed by an unquenchable rage.
Many such rumors endure to this day, in the absence of a survivor to disprove
them.
Aletap Rumors: There's this particular weapon, an axe, me and my boys are fond
of. The francisca, she's called! Heard of her?
Seems they make 'em up north, but only when pointed horns and malboro fruit
are in healthy supply in market. That's why we've been out hunting for 'em
every spare moment we get.
Baimo, Berserker
* * * * * * * * *
102 - Nightwalker / Genus - Undead / Classification - Reaper
Observations: Thus are called those reapers, deities of death, that wander the
darkness devouring the souls of men. Some are known for the strength of their
blades, others for the strength of their magicks.
They are feared as demons for their cruelty, and indeed the sight of them
devouring a man's soul is said to be worse than a lifetime of torture, yet,
oddly, the expressions left upon the faces of those whose souls have been
devoured are not masks of pain, but of beatific calm. This has led some to
speculate that it is not, perhaps, the Inferno to which they bear their
victims, but Paradise.
Aletap Rumors: I've heard that the means for makin' dark matter can be found in
a grimoire carried by some evil folk.
They say that the recipe's been divided into two books, though, to prevent
pryin' eyes from seein' it.
And, harken to this: they say that if you were to stack them on top of one
another and wrap them up together in a severed bat wing, the whole lot would
fly off, recipe an' all! What I wonder is: how did someone come to find that
out then, eh? Load of old codswallop!
Syami, Witch
* * * * * * * * *
103 - Dragin Aevis / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Being a dragon that has lived in darkness for such a great span
of time, its eyes have withered, yet its sense of touch has grown so acute that
it may sense the slightest source of heat upon the air, thereby distinguishing
obstacle from foe.
"Aevis" summons to mind the word for "demon's armor" in an ancient tongue,
and indeed, the wyrm's carapace is as impenetrable as the hardest steel.
Aletap Rumors: You know the diamond sword, right?
Well, it's worth such a fortune that they have to wrap it in a bundle of
feathers for sale so it don't scratch none.
Of course, it's hard to imagine anything that would mar that blade.
Why, if it did nick, I'd have to say it was a fake.
Cerynute, Machinist
* * * * * * * * *
104 - Ghoul / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Ancient teachings tell us that those attached to beauty are
abandoned without succor after death, and fall back down to earth, in execrable
form, as ghouls.
Though the truth of this can never be known, they are indeed drawn to beauty,
and it seems likely that they defile the living in a desperate effort to
reclaim what they once had.
Sage Knowledge (51 of 78): Zertinan Caverns: A great cavern complex stretching
along the length of the inland sea between Ordalia and Kerwon. Its passages
twist and turn, winding their way from the Jagd Yensa to Dalmasca, and even
Bancour.
Labyrinthine and dark, the caverns provide an excellent place for criminals
and bandits to hide from the authorities.
The reaches near the Great Yensan Sandsea are known for their frequent deadly
subterranean sand drifts, and the fierce wyrms that make their home there.
Nearer to Bancour, the smell of brine grows stronger, and many of the cavern
mouths open out onto cliffs overlooking the sea.
* * * * * * * * *
105 - Darkmare / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Nightmare
Observations: Being a nightmare transformed by long years of living in lands
saturated with Mist, preferring to inhabit ruins and other places starved of
light. Mist rises in clouds about its body, and pours incessantly from its mane
and hooves.
Aletap Rumors: You've heard of the, er, shall we call it "militarily-minded
land" in the south importing weapons of all kinds, right? Why, it sounds like
they're after pointed horns and maggoty flesh to buy.
I don't know what they could possibly want to use them for, but they say
they've been trading them for their famed tridents, so they must really want
them.
Uyag, Illusionist
* * * * * * * * *
106 - Facer / Genus - Construct / Classification - Facer
Observations: Statue made to defend the relics of the Dynast-King that rest in
the Stilshrine of Miriam.
Within burns an everlasting flame, the source of the power which fuels its
ceaseless wandering through the Stilshrine's deserted corridors.
Generally docile, but prone to charging in with teeth a-chatter and flames
roaring when trespassers least expect it.
Sage Knowledge (78 of 78): The Stilshrine of Miriam: An ancient shrine deep
within the Jagd Ramooda. Like Raithwall's tomb, this, too, was constructed in
the time of the Galtean Alliance, originally to honor the ancient god of swords
and martial might. It is said that a Gran Kiltias of long ago selected the
Stilshrine to house the relics of Dynast-King Raithwall, though why he would
choose this site, and not a temple of his own sect, is unclear.
* * * * * * * * *
107 - Balloon / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Bomb
Observations: Being a fiend created by a Gran Kiltias of long ago to roam the
Stilshrine, protecting the relics of the Dynast-King that rest within.
Its body exudes great magickal power, fueling a pale glowing flame that burns
around it incessantly.
Made to defend the relics of the Dynast-King with their lives, or more
precisely, with their deaths.
Sage Knowledge (23 of 78): Centurio: An elite clan having its clan hall in the
Royal City of Rabanastre, formed by the young moogle, Montblanc.
That the relatively new Centurio is quickly making its mark among the clans
is thanks in no small part to Montblanc's encouragement of cooperation between
members, and all Centurios' dedication to getting the job done.
Centurio is renowned for welcoming hunters of all races, its founding members
including a nu mou, Ma'kenroh, and a viera.
* * * * * * * * *
108 - Miriam Guardian / Genus - Construct / Classification - Guardian
Observations: A great statue made to protect the relics of the Dynast-King that
lie sleeping in the Stilshrine of Miriam. It is not known in what age or by
whom it was made.
According to those scholars who have investigated the shrine, the designs on
the statue are similar to those in certain ruins around Ivalice, giving weight
to the theory that they were created by the same unknown individual or
collective.
Aletap Rumors: They say there is a point on the body which, struck just so,
will stop a man cold in its tracks, unable to move.
A skilled marksman could use a fine arrow, thin like a needle, to do this
from a distance.
That's where stone bolts come in handy. As I'm sure you know, they use
bundles of needles to make 'em, so proper width and sharpness are guaranteed.
Aim, of course, depends on your arm.
Jimmik, Blue Mage
* * * * * * * * *
109 - Oiling / Genus - Amorph / Classification - Flan
Observations: Being an amorph found in the ruins of arctic lands. The uncanny
ichor of which it is composed is resistant to the cold, yet the slightest lick
of flame will set it ablaze.
Some effort has been made in the past to utilize this substance as a weapon,
but a viable method of collection has yet to be devised.
Quite recently, a similar substance was found in the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea and
research is under way to find a connection between the two.
Aletap Rumors: Oil is fuel for fires and explosions, right? Well, I've heard of
a bomb, called the oil bomb, that puts two and two together, dousing your
target with oil and setting it aflame!
They say the method of its construction came from the Book of Orgain...
I guess sometimes fact really is stranger than fiction.
Githon, Dark Knight
* * * * * * * * *
110 - Miriam Facer / Genus - Construct / Classification - Guardian
Observations: Being the giant carven head of what must have been a truly
gargantuan statue.
Stationed as an eternal guardian to protect the Dynast-King's relics where
they sleep in the Stilshrine of Miriam.
It is not known by what power it propels itself through the corridors, but in
that it represents the colossus's only surviving locomotive part, it seems
likely that the head retains the source of the original statue's animation.
Aletap Rumors: There's an odd bird among the swordsmiths, so there is.
He claims the worth of his blades is not in their keenness, but in the
sharpness of the screams they cull from their victims.
Inhuman, eh? He's the one what forged the Ame-no-Murakumo. Word is, he spends
his days pulling up screamroot and listening to its cries.
Told you he was odd.
Narce, Templar
* * * * * * * * *
111 - Ghast / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: A sort of zombie, infamous far and wide for its ill-favored
appearance, and savage demeanor.
It is rumored that this creature first appeared in a fairy tale, and that the
story somehow made its way into a grimoire, the very act of transcribing the
words therein thence giving life to the creature known as the ghast.
The truth behind this rumor, and the power of words, are currently topics of
much study amongst scholars of the annals of our history.
Aletap Rumors: Lean closer and I'll tell you summat you're not like to hear
elsewhere... How to forge a kagenui!
First, you stick a giant feather what's been filled with dark magicks through
a chunk o' festering flesh! Listen!
Give it a while, and the feather will turn black as darkest night. Then, you
sharpen a blade with the feather, and that's that!
'Course, you may lack the skills... and a properly fitted-out workshop... in
fact, you're prob'ly best off seeing what tradin' on the bazaar will get you.
Ymato, Swordsmith
* * * * * * * * *
112 - Crystalbug / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Crystalbug
Observations: Being a fiend that, unable to move and hunt for food on its own,
mimics the form of a crystal, thereby tempting its prey to come to it.
The deception is nearly perfect and thus almost impossible to detect.
Should an ill-starred traveler mistake such a creature for a crystal, and
reach out his hand, he will be treated to a maelstrom of the strongest magicks,
before having his life juices summarily drained.
Aletap Rumors: Only those few who can instill holy strength in many jewels may
wield the holy mote and its powerful rays of light.
So it is told, and so had I heard... but nobody took it seriously. No one
believed such a thing could exist, including me.
Yet it seems it was true, after all. For I witnessed it with my own eyes.
Kaqueza, Numerologist
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< 3.13 - THE MOSPHORAN HIGHWASTE > [ BT13 ]
113 - Worgen / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Being a variety of wolf with fur of eye-searing red, known to
hunt in well-organized packs. Of them, the alpha worgen are the strongest, and
the pack leaders.
The fur is doubtlessly for protection from the strong sunlight and harshly
arid environs in which they dwell, the exception being the band of bright
yellow stretching from their eyes to their ears, which together with the red
serves as a clear warning to interlopers and potential predators.
Tips for the Adventurer: Just about anyone can see the value of a well-furred
pelt. Still, there are some treasures you'd even give up a fine pelt to
possess.
One famous example: throat wolf blood.
I won't go into the market price, but seeing adventurers lusting after furs
with the merest bit of the blood splashed on them... Well, I think you get the
idea.
* * * * * * * * *
114 - Humbaba / Genus - Giant / Classification - Behemoth
Observations: Being a fell creature, some calling it the "Lord of Beasts" for
its vicious temperament and snarling, lightning-fast manner of attack.
The working of its heart and lungs is specially adapted to the mountainous
regions in which it dwells, enabling long, protracted combat without pause.
The humbaba is a social creature, known to raise great howls in communication
with others of its kind, thereby coordinating a pursuit, or warning of danger.
A Researcher's Ramblings: There's a legend, you see, which claims that if you
were to crush the beastlord's horn, and steep it into a brew, you would know
the tongue of beasts by the time you'd drunk a draft.
Now, the legend doesn't say what exactly this "beastlord" may be, so to
ascertain the truth of the matter, experiments were performed in antiquity
using the powdered horns of many a creature.
If reports are true, they learned what is meant by the "beastlord," yet none
remain to tell the tale, for all those who participated were transformed into
fell humbabas, and were never seen again!
* * * * * * * * *
115 - Python / Genus - Beast / Classification - Serpent
Observations: Living in dry mountainous regions, the mouth of the python has
developed its distinctive narrowed shape to better probe the rocky cracks where
its prey make their nests.
From neck down to midriff, its body is split into two identical curves, each
containing an elongated stomach with powerful digestive capabilities. With
these can it process large quantities of food despite its slender form.
Its bony scales are azure in hue, and much resemble lusterless metal.
On the Dissection of Beasts: Take the Serpent in all her Varieties: surely, Her
most salient Feature is to be found in the Curvature of her Fangs.
Lo, the Great Serpent's Fang, as it is called, is as the most delicate
Carving of a great Snake unto itself.
The merest Glance upon its Form maketh one feel as though the Serpent holds
you in its Eye, and you are lost.
Perhaps this accounts for the Popularity of the Serpent Motif amongst
Criminals and those of a violent Disposition.
* * * * * * * * *
116 - Ash Wyrm / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Fell Wyrm
Observations: Being a variety of fell wyrm feared since antiquity for its
unsurpassed ferocity and strength.
The restraining ring set about its body is ensorceled with interwoven magicks
for enforcing servitude. But what being could have pressed such a creature into
slavery, if not the gods themselves?
Many are the alchemists and wizards who have spent sleepless nights
struggling in vain to understand the mechanism by which these collars once
functioned.
Wind-worn Inscription: ----whence the Sun rise---where it doth set----to rule
over-----those it has created that power---o control its warp and weft---taken
----ealed away.
The moon ring hung from wyrm's neck is----to sea---or that purpose was made
----.
The God---heir power is great--erefore made they powerless thin---but th-----
ould not con--- and so it was.
* * * * * * * * *
117 - Vulture / Genus - Avion / Classification - Diver
Observations: Being a variety of diver living primarily in arid, mountainous
regions, skilled at riding the updrafts high up in the air, whence it spots its
prey, and plummeting downward for the kill.
Having wing tips the shade of purple oft seen in highland flora, this being a
clear indication of long years spent in adaptation with its environs. Its long
beak, too, is evidence of this, the shape being perfectly suited for the
fishing out of smaller creatures from between the rocky crags.
The Hunter's Companion: The true hunter looks upon the vulture with envy, and
deepest respect.
That the very word "Hunter" comes from this diver's name is well known.
Thus does the hunter strive to improve his eyesight above all else, until the
day his eyes surpass the eye of the hawk itself.
* * * * * * * * *
118 - Clay Golem / Genus - Construct / Classification - Golem
Observations: Being a magickal construct of brick and mortar.
The furnace in its chest, which powers its locomotion, is fed by its own
clay, meaning that it must periodically restore itself in much the same way as
we require sustenance to live.
Though its inexpensive materials and ordinary workmanship make for an
inelegant weapon of war, its aptitude for repair makes it the ideal automaton
for a range of other tasks, both in the laboratory and in the field.
It is a sign of the low cost of fabrication that once the creation receives
orders, they cannot be revoked, hence the sight of golems from a defeated and
forgotten army roaming the land in search of an enemy long since dead and gone.
Sage Knowledge (65 of 78): Mosphoran Highwaste: Mighty mountain range standing
between Dalmasca and Nabradia. Well-known for its odd rock formations:
overhangs forming roofs over the mountain paths, and lone spires of rock
jutting toward the sky.
In a col between the peaks is a flat area where spring water bubbles from the
ground, creating an ideal resting place for weary travelers. The shrines
standing in the clearing were built during the Galtean Alliance, the names of
the gods they enshrine long since lost to the ken of Man.
* * * * * * * * *
119 - Slaven Wilder / Genus - Giant / Classification - Slaven
Observations: Being a slaven born feral, hence called "wilder."
Perhaps owing to its ancestors' history of industrial labor, it prefers to
inhabit land rich in ore. There it feeds on small beasts and the roots of
plants.
Owing to their slow rate of maturation and habit of sitting still among ore-
rich rocks, it is common to see magnificent crystalline structures on the
creatures' backs, accumulated through contact with the rocks around them.
Though it moves quite slowly, it is known for its fierce temper when aroused.
Sage Knowledge (15 of 78): The Alexander: No. 1 Heavy Carrier Class Airship
Being the flagship of the 12th Fleet of the Archadian Imperial Army.
The 12th Fleet, commanded by Judge Zargabath, operates under the Galtea
Tactical Force of the Western Armada, led by Lord Vayne.
* * * * * * * * *
120 - Fire Elemental / Genus - Fire Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being an elemental of flame, born in the midst of a blazing
inferno, appearing most often in mountainous regions where life abounds.
The strength of flame gives power to much life, and can occasionally be a
path to new knowledge. For this reason do the alchemists worship fire as the
muse of creation.
Aletap Rumors: I heard from a friend about how you make the weapon known as the
ivory pole.
Now it's an expensive piece of kit, as I'm sure you know, but I bet you
didn't know that blood-darkened bone is used to make it. Apparently, you take a
bone and polish it for a full fortnight with a demon feather. From the look of
the finished product, you'd never imagine what went into it, would you now?
Maksim the Bandit
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< 3.14 - THE SALIKAWOOD > [ BT14 ]
121 - Wyrdhare / Genus - Beast / Classification - Dreamhare
Observations: Being a creature with a body the color of ripe red fruit, and
silken hair white as snow.
Though of a warm, personable nature, they are very wary of predators
approaching from the rear, and turn to attack at the merest hint of danger.
Their feather-like ears are highly sensitive to movements in the air,
detecting the slightest stirrings caused by the approach of predators. Adored
as a symbol of joy, it is popularly believed that those fortunate enough to
glimpse a wyrdhare are destined to enjoy happiness in life.
A Curious Treasure: Do you know why the wyrdhare is considered a symbol of good
fortune? Why, it is on account of the light that radiates from its body, much
resembling the light of the stars used in fortune telling and divination.
The source of that brilliance is none other than the dust that stirs up
around it as it scampers and whirls in the gloaming. The fine particles on its
fur glitter like stars in the light, making it pleasing to the eye, and
securing its position as a good luck charm withal.
This dust, in turn, is called stardust, and is highly valued.
* * * * * * * * *
122 - Pumpkin Head / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being a variety of mandragora exceptional among its kind for a
high degree of intelligence, the most often cited evidence of this being the
clothes, gloves, and boots it is known to wear. It lives in the manner of men,
and exhibits a personality startlingly similar to ours.
It is richly expressive, and fond of making hideous faces - this same
playfulness illustrated by the pumpkin mask it wears upon its head.
Sage Knowledge (66 of 78): The Salikawood: Forested region in central Nabradia.
A path strung between the thick-growing trees leads towards Archadia. However,
many of the tree-bridges are covered with thick moss, and in advanced stages of
decay.
As transport by airship gained prominence, the land roads were abandoned. Now
more beasts walk the woods than travelers.
The forest is the domain of the Kingdom of Nabradia. Abandoned these two
years since its fall, the number of fell beasts within its borders swells
daily.
* * * * * * * * *
123 - Sprinter / Genus - Avion / Classification - Cockatrice
Observations: Being a variety of cockatrice living in the thickest of forests.
They are feathered green overall, though here and there are feathers of the
most spectacular coloration, providing camouflage against the brightly colored
woodland flowers.
Though their winged forelimbs are rather underdeveloped, using the floatsacs
beneath their skin and the rising forest vapors they are able to hover about
the canopy, make their nests, evade predators and spot prey.
Aletap Rumors: Souls and entites, though vague and lacking in substance, are
nonetheless possessed of great power.
No great surprise, for are they not the source of life's energy? Were these
two essences to become one, you can imagine the result, I am sure.
It is said that the high arcana is nothing less than the product of this
union.
And it is my belief that in these beings we may perceive the true form of the
gods.
Viruna, Missionary
* * * * * * * * *
124 - Malboro King / Genus - Plant / Classification - Malboro
Observations: Being the highest rank of malboro, and wearing a crown to prove
it. It is still unknown how it came to wear its crown, or who, indeed, made it.
There is a rumor which claims that, should a man slay it and put on its
crown, he will be at once transformed into a malboro king. Should this be true,
it could very well mean that the crown is cursed with the vilest of magicks,
and the beast that wears it was once a man.
Sage Knowledge (3 of 78): The Tragedy of Nabudis: Two years past, Nabradia,
fearing the military might of the Archadian Empire, made treaty with Rozarria
to place troops from that land near her borders. Fearing an invasion of the
Valendian continent by its sworn enemy, Rozarria, Archadia immediately exerted
political pressure on the small kingdom. Yet Nabradia did not accede to their
demands, and Emperor Gramis of Archadia was compelled to use force.
Several days after the Archadian invasion, a terrible explosion reduced the
once proud city of Nabudis to naught but rubble. Though the city fell in the
space of a night, the Mist that now swirls where it once stood has transformed
the land into a barren waste for eternity. Even now, the cause of this
cataclysm is not fully understood.
* * * * * * * * *
125 - Antares / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mantis
Observations: Being a variety of mantis living primarily in large forests.
Known for its insatiable appetite, this voracious beast can consume up to
five times its own weight in the space of a single day.
It dines primarily on creatures of middling size, such as chocobos. Known to
hide among stands of white trees, there to wait in ambush for its prey.
Aletap Rumors: You wouldn't think you'd spy people wearing clothes made of
quality pelts and tanned giantskin these days, would you? But, hear this: were
you to use a fire crystal to treat those materials, you could make clothing of
surpassing quality! Indeed, that's how power vests and chakra bands are made.
I only found this out recently myself, by the way, so I'm hardly an expert on
the subject.
Catosso, Ninja
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< 3.15 - PHON COAST > [ BT15 ]
126 - Silver Lobo / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Being a variety of wolf with leaden scales upon its back, and the
flats of its hands and feet withal.
Having the curious habit of eating small rocks along with its prey to aid the
digestion through a grinding in the stomach.
It is thought that the lead and zinc from these stones passed into the
beast's body, eventually leading to the formation of their unique scales.
Aletap Rumors: It is said that once, the son of a rich nobleman set out on a
journey to prove his worth. His goal: to collect a piece of storm magicite, an
insect husk, and a tanned giantskin.
He thought it wise to deck himself with platinum gear, but its purchase cost
him all his gil, and with no money left for traveling, his journey was
canceled.
If it were me, I'd sell the gear and get me something of real value.
Gatolle, Dragoon
* * * * * * * * *
127 - Mandragora / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being a vegetative creature that grows in water of high salinity.
The vines twisting up from its neck form a distinctive mask. As its screech
is quite injurious to Man, chemickals are often spread to prevent these
creatures' growth, yet their vine-masks prevent all but the most lethal of
mixtures from actually killing them.
Those natural philosophers who have studied their extraordinary powers of
reproduction have pressed for an increase in the use of such chemickals.
Aletap Rumors: I was trying to make an herbal remedy, but I ended up making a
bomb! Based on the ingredients I used, I'd say what I've got is something much
like a poison bomb.
Hmm? What did I use? Why, bomb ashes and a fire crystal.
Believe me, you don't want to know what my remedy was for.
Nadjo, Apothecary
* * * * * * * * *
128 - Iguion / Genus - Beast / Classification - Toad
Observations: Being a variety of toad born of an egg like to a giant jewel.
It lives hidden between the rocks, feeding with its long tongue on any
creature that approaches, large or small.
The adhesive disks on its hands and feet allow it to suspend its body in all
manner of precarious locations, enabling it to ambush prey from the most
unexpected hiding locations. As such, its victims often spend their dying
moments in a state of acute bemusement rather than fear.
Tips for the Adventurer: The giant eggs of the iguion are a prized rarity.
Only the fanciest of the marketers of fancy foodstuffs carry this rare sort
of frogspawn, and fewer still are those who know its true value. Why? Because
this knowledge is so prized that if two who are in the know happen to meet, a
fight to the death ensues, and the world is soon short one... or sometimes two
who knew.
* * * * * * * * *
129 - Archaeosaur / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Tyrant
Observations: Being the most ancient of the tyrants known to exist today.
Its elongated skull and forward-set eyes are well developed for tracking the
movements of swifter prey.
When on the hunt, it charges with great strides, keeping balance with its
long tail held out behind it.
Perhaps due to its primordial nature, this tyrant is possessed of no great
wit, preferring to simply attack all that moves, rather than waste time in
idle pondering.
Aletap Rumors: They say the value of goods in lands to the far west are quite
different from those here in Ivalice. Why, some things we consider rubbish are
prized as treasures over there.
Take frogspawn, for instance. Apparently, it trades at the same value as an
opal ring if you go far enough west!
Hard to imagine what sort of country that is over there, eh?
I'd like to meet the lady who would wear frogspawn to a palace fete! Wait, on
second thought...
Nhira, Seer of the Sky
* * * * * * * * *
130 - Pyrolisk / Genus - Avion / Classification - Diver
Observations: Due to its carnivorous nature, the beak of this avion has
receded, being replaced by a mouth filled with sharp teeth.
As it lives amongst the rocks near the sea, so have its wings changed
coloration to match that of the sand and gravel.
The pattern on its wings resembles that of the insect known as the piloria,
feared for their potent venom which causes searing pain much like a burn, and
is therefore an effective deterrent to predation.
Aletap Rumors: Every adventurer dreams of one day collecting the Gigas series
of equipment.
Of course, these well-made items command an exorbitant price. That is why
many seek to barter their way into ownership at the bazaar. That said, it's no
easy task to collect the prime pelts and prime tanned hides you'd need in
trade.
Make it or buy it, either way you've got your work cut out for you.
Lonlo, Green Mage
* * * * * * * * *
131 - Piranha / Genus - Ichthian / Classification - Pirahna
Observations: Being an ichthon favoring winds of high salinity, using its large
fins to ply the air as if 'twere water.
The sharply pointed bone on its head, like to a spear, is ideally suited for
goring prey from the sky, and fending of the attacks of the pyrolisk.
Its sharp wedge-like teeth are impelled by a muscular lower jaw, so well-
developed that it dwarfs the upper, contributing to the creature's intimidating
appearance.
Sage Knowledge (58 of 78): Phon Coast: Coastal region lying along the Phon
Straits which divide Archadia from Nabradia. Praised for its beautiful beaches
of white sand, and lush greenery.
A hunter's camp along the coast attracts adventurers and headhunters, forming
a community where they might exchange information and rest between expeditions.
* * * * * * * * *
132 - Bagoly / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Urstrix
Observations: In the age before airships filled the skies, the air above the
battlefield belonged to the armored bagoly. Yet, tragically, long hard years of
use in combat ruined its once-proud wings, and now it is earthbound.
As the airships rose, so did the bagoly fall to the ground, their place over
the battlefield occupied by manufacted monsters of steel and skystone. So did
the abandoned bagoly return to the wild.
The Merchant's Eye: During their military training, one handler was assigned to
each bagoly, the resulting pairs developing close bonds over the passing
months. Thus do the bagolys fondly recollect the staves of their handlers, and
thus did they acquire the habit of stealing and hoarding the staves of the men
they attack.
Though it's difficult to predict how much a given bent staff will fetch at
market, few merchants would pass up the chance to purchase one, in the hope
that it might be traded for another treasure at a later date.
* * * * * * * * *
133 - Air Elemental / Genus - Air Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being an elemental of the air, and the pure breezes that blow
through the world.
The wind carries fragrance, the seeds of flowers and trees, yet it can also
spread fire, and pestilence.
For the wayfarer, the God of the Journey sets the wind to blow in a favorable
direction, and for the merchant, the God of Trade fills the sails of trading
vessels to carry goods to their destination. For this reason are air elementals
revered beside the gods themselves in many places.
Aletap Rumors: Everyone likes the man who gets his work done quick. That's why
no one used to like me, I suppose, and the very reason why I'll never let go of
my Hermes sandals.
I hear it only takes gysahl greens to make them, but given their price,
there's gotta be more to 'em than just some tasty greens!
Gyle, Arcanist
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< 3.16 - TCHITA UPLANDS > [ BT16 ]
134 - Coeurl / Genus - Beast / Classification - Coeurl
Observations: Being an odd creature with webbing, like that of an amphibian, on
its feet to aid swimming, a long, slender body, and even longer streaming
whiskers.
Prefers to eat small animals and the like, but known to venture into the
shallows to catch fish when food is scarce.
This consumption of aquatic prey appears to be a taste acquired after the age
of ice, when most land-based fauna was extinguished, and it was then that the
coeurl developed its distinctive webbing.
Sage Knowledge (59 of 78): Tchita Uplands: A hilly region reaching to the south
of Archadia. Before the widespread adoption of airships as the primary means of
conveyance, this region was the highway to the Imperial City, and filled with
travelers.
Ruins can be spotted here and there amongst the tall grasses, and researchers
from Archades often come here to delve into the mysteries left by whatever
ancient civilization built them.
* * * * * * * * *
135 - Feral Croc / Genus - Beast / Classification - Gator
Observations: Fur the color of dead grass conceals a hard, scaly exoskeleton
protecting this flesh-eater with few known predators.
Its head is concealed by a split upper and lower jaw, and it is from between
these that it keeps careful watch on prey through well-protected sunken
eyeholes.
It is aggressive, yet wary, threatening potential aggressors with displays of
its wide-open maw.
A Curious Treasure: Though the fur of the feral croc might seem, at first, to
grow in a random fashion, the careful observer will note channels in the fur
which permit air to pass and cool the beast.
Typically, air flows freely over the creature's body before continuing on its
way, yet on rare occasions it leaves the channels, swirling instead around the
nooks and crannies of the croc's strange physiology. There the wind takes on
tangible form, and so is the substance known as the antarctic wind formed.
* * * * * * * * *
136 - Serpent / Genus - Beast / Classification - Serpent
Observations: Being a fiendish creature of terrible aspect, bearing three sets
of venomous fangs with which it brings death to all unfortunate enough to be
bitten.
It is sheathed in hard, slick scales, allowing quick movement in even arid
climes. Recent studies have revealed that the body of this creature has no less
than six limb joints, suggesting perhaps that it was once winged.
Aletap Rumors: Amongst the followers of the Light, it is believed that the
Creator-god sent twelve apostles to us upon the great Working of the World...
but I've heard there may have been a thirteenth, yes, another apostle!
It's rumored that someone found an ancient tome, and that had record of an
apostle who came among us in the form of a giant serpent. If this is true (and
I see no reason to believe it isn't) then there should also be a gemstone, a
great treasure bearing the mark of the snake! A gemstone... named Serpentarius!
Eldea, Summoner
* * * * * * * * *
137 - Earth Elemental / Genus - Earth Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being an elemental of earth, the essence of any land supporting
life. Certain sects worship these elementals as the sacred force that ties men
to the land, and they give thanks to the elementals for rich soil and good
harvests.
Lands with parched soil, devoid of vegetation, are thought to be those where
the earth elementals have been eradicated, and no longer protect the soil from
depletion.
Aletap Rumors: I heard people saying they'd revealed the method to making
ether, but what good does a recipe like this do me?
A mix of unpurified ether and caramel? Right. Now where am I supposed to get
those?
Paty, Geomancer
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< 3.17 - THE SOCHEN CAVE PALACE > [ BT17 ]
138 - Abysteel / Genus - Undead / Classification - Steeling
Observations: Being a variety of bat with wings of surpassing beauty,
preferring to make their abodes in magicite mines and underground chambers.
Their wings are composed of a tough metallic substance, and by their patterns
can males and females be distinguished.
It is generally held that the patterning of the female is the more beautiful,
lending the wings much popularity as ornamentation on airships, the male's,
meanwhile, being considered ill-favored, and shunned as a sign of bad luck.
Tips for the Adventurer: Few things bring to mind 'ill luck' so readily as a
vampyr fang.
Yet the things are famous among apothecaries and their ilk as a vital
ingredient in wards and charms against curses!
And, apparently, not just any fang will do the trick. I'd have no idea how to
tell a vampyr fang from a regular, pointy one, if I had to look into such a
mouth, and I do hope I never have the pleasure. If you want one, you'd best be
ready to grope around in some pretty nasty places.
Maybe you'll get your fang yet. Maybe you'll lose a few fingers in the
process. Either way, count me out!
* * * * * * * * *
139 - Imp / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: Being a creature known for its lusterless yellow body and full,
rounded wings.
It is given to waving its long tail like a Rozarrian dancer might wave her
sixth veil, this to maintain balance as it flies.
The name of the imp derives from an ancient word "impet," meaning the "child
broken from the devil," and befitting their name, they delight in mischief and
small acts of evil.
Sage Knowledge (60 of 78): Sochen Cave Palace: A giant underground complex in
Archadia, consisting of natural caverns and the abandoned ruins of an ancient
palace. Many of its ways and passages remain uncharted on current maps. From
the style of the carvings adorning some of the walls, it is thought that the
complex was built at some point during the Galtean Alliance, though no records
of its construction remain.
A survey mission was initiated to chart the many corridors here, but a
particularly nasty infestation of creatures has significantly hampered
progress.
* * * * * * * * *
140 - Striker / Genus - Giant / Classification - Headless
Observations: Being a condemned man, his blood turned by torture into pure
venom, searing his veins.
Attacks without restraint or mercy, for only in the moment when he severs
victim's head from torso does he know relief from agony.
The necklace he wears is shaped like the flower whose poison courses through
his tortured soul, and is set with magicks to prevent any serum from easing his
suffering.
Sage Knowledge (31 of 78): Valendia: Continent lying to the northeast of
Ordalia. The climate is overall quite clement, and levels of Mist are far more
stable than on the other two large continents.
Many towns and villages dot the hilly region stretching from the continent's
interior to the shores of the Inner Naldoan Sea, most under the direct control
of Archadia.
The Kingdom of Nabradia, lying on the Phon Straits in western Valendia,
prospered here until its destruction in the Archadian invasion of two years
past, its capital of Nabudis becoming a deserted wasteland.
* * * * * * * * *
141 - Pit Fiend / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: Being a dull-hued creature, with translucent wings resembling
those of an insect.
It does not fly by the beating of its wings, but rather by the levitating
magicks it casts.
Its wings are not without use, however, being essential to managing the wind
and aiding balance, permitting uninterrupted flight in even the most adverse
conditions.
A myth counts this being as one of the warriors set to defend the Jade
Passage to the Devil's Palace.
Talk About Town: Mud shot and icecloud arrows - both fine projectiles, to be
sure, but both requiring crystals to make.
This, I can understand... but imagine what it would take to make even better
ammunition?
A scary thought, eh?
Junro, Poet
* * * * * * * * *
142 - Wendigo / Genus - Giant / Classification - Headless
Observations: In ancient times, certain tribes would sever the heads of the
fallen, and commit the body to a watery burial. By eating the heads of lost
family, it was believed that one could bind their souls as protective spirits.
Such practices have long been abandoned, but its legacy may be seen in the
sodden corpses since risen to gouge the earth in search of buried kin.
Sage Knowledge (55 of 78): Archades: The capital of the Archadian Empire. Still
small when it first formed as a city-state, it grew tremendously during the
long peace fostered by the Galtean Alliance. When the Empire was formed, the
city center was relocated, forming the Archades we know today.
Though poor in both natural resources and land, Archades came to prominence
as a city of innovation and learning. All information and technology gathers
here, and the famed mages and artificers born within her walls are legion.
Knowledge, then, is the true strength of the Archadian Empire.
The city of Archades forms an octagon with the Imperial Palace at its center.
Around the Palace sit the Senate Chambers and other administrative quarters,
beyond which lies a booming mercantile district. The buildings in the city
center are quite tall, with the lower floors being used mainly as residences.
The difference in heights between the various buildings makes this a city of
small airships, that being the most efficient means of accessing all levels of
the metropolis.
More than half the population of Archades is hume, and while at one time all
lived near the ground, of late, those of power or particular wealth have taken
to living in the higher apartments and traveling exclusively by private
airship.
* * * * * * * * *
143 - Zombie Knight / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Being knights of tragic bearing, with oath-magicks scriven on
their flesh.
Many are indeed deserters, who received the oaths as punishment and warning
to others, robbing their bodies of freedom.
These oath-magicks shall not be broken until the vessels of their souls are
wholly decayed and worn away to nothing, and so they wander, and kill, and
await that day.
Street Corner Musings: You've heard of the halcyons - greatest among the
magicites, bearing the likeness of entites, no?
They must be powerful, to be named after such beings as the salamand entite,
or the undin entite!
'Course, I've no idea how one would go about getting such a beauty, 'cept
stealing it straight from an entite itself! Hah!
Pemain, Appraiser
* * * * * * * * *
144 - Gorgimera / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Cockatrice
Observations: Being a man who, consumed by magicks, discarded the worn husk of
his body and took refuge in the body of a cockatrice, thereby forming the fell
creature known as the gorgimera.
Living in dim, dry underground caverns, corridors, and the like. Their
distinctive, scaly visage is horrifying to look upon, and their wings, which
spread to reveal mesmerizing eye-patterns, draw others into the twisted world
of their wholly corrupted minds.
Sage Knowledge (26 of 78): The Hunter Camp: Of the many hunters roaming
Ivalice, the best of the best, seeking out the rarest of marks, are known to
gather in a camp along the Phon Coast.
Unlike clans, the hunters that collect here have no leader, and all
information exchanges, activities to support the camp, and payments for such,
are handled on an individual basis.
* * * * * * * * *
145 - Focalor / Genus - Ichthian / Classification - Pirahna
Observations: Being a flesh-eating ichthon, easily identified by its brown-
striped hide.
The fish-fiend's jaws gape open like a crescent moon, revealing row upon row
of razor-sharp, wedge-shaped teeth. Its scales are made of a metallic
substance, and are extremely hard.
Known for its aggressive nature, and sensitivity to the scent of blood.
The Town Crier: Hear ye, hear ye! The taster's guild of legendary chefs known
as the Iron Stomach have announced a change in pricing on a previously
announced special ingredient, the dorsal fin.
The repricing will finally bring this long-favored delicacy of the Iron
Stomach within reach of the average household budget.
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< 3.18 - THE FEYWOOD > [ BT18 ]
146 - Cerberus / Genus - Beast / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Originally watchdogs of hell who came to our land to hunt down
those who turned against the king of the underworld.
They were charged with the duty of catching those disloyal to their king, and
branding them with their fiery horns as a mark of their betrayal. The brand
carried magicks of enforced servitude, and those so marked could never leave
the underworld again.
Though they no longer serve their ancient master, having long since been set
adrift in our world, they continue to give chase and attack with fiery horns.
A Curious Treasure: There is a flame fueled by vengeance and hatred, and never
shall it flicker or fade. Perhaps it is the hell-gate's flame burning on the
horn of the cerberus that has earned it the title "Watchdog of Hell." Yet these
flames touch none but the wicked, and singe the good not in the least. Hence
the custom of searing the sinful with flame to adjudge the weight of their
sins.
* * * * * * * * *
147 - Deadly Nightshade / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being a mandragora with a head like a red tomato. Hailing from
the eastern highlands, changing climates brought them down to the low lands.
Many are the treatise written by natural philosophers attempting to trace the
roots of the strange black and white markings covering their bodies,
reminiscent of the clothes worn by prisoners.
Sage Knowledge (57 of 78): Draklor Laboratory: Weapons research laboratory
located a short distance from the administrative district in the northeast of
Archades, sponsored by the Archadian Imperial Army, with Dr. Cidolfus Demen
Bunansa as its head researcher and maker of policy.
Research is divided among airship design projects, sundry weapons projects,
and magickal endeavors.
In recent years, particular attention has been paid to magicite research,
with great strides being made in the manufacting of magicite and improved
methods for drawing energy from the stones.
A strict security system is in place to ensure that none of the knowledge in
Draklor Laboratory leaves its doors without authorization.
* * * * * * * * *
148 - Mu / Genus - Beast / Classification - Dreamhare
Observations: The curious mu makes its home in the ancient trees of the
Feywood. Their nests are made by boring holes in the tree trunks, whence they
peer out to watch for danger. Spending all of their waking lives beneath the
shade of the trees, their bodies are pale and colorless. So close is their
affinity for the trees that some communities consider them to be tree spirits.
A Curious Treasure: According to the chronologists, the creatures known as mu
came as emissaries from the moon, and were once revered as sacred beings.
Thus is the dust they guard with their lives thought to come from the moon
itself. Indeed, this moondust is markedly different in nature and composition
from most similar sands found here in Ivalice.
* * * * * * * * *
149 - Mandragora Prince / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being the mutated form of a mandragora grown near a killing block
or other such place where blood is spilled in large quantities, having eyes the
color of blood.
Writes the naturalist Merlose in her vivid account of an encounter with one
such beast: "...gazed I then into those crimson pupils, and witnessed there I
its abiding madness."
If the blood spilled on the ground where it grew was pure, then it is said it
will become a mandragora prince, with fell appearance, but hopeful heart.
A Curious Treasure: Only those with luck in spades might hope to find a lucky
four-leaf clover. So goes the tale, and with its telling this humble leaf grew
into something sacred and mystical, a bringer of good luck.
Yet, few are they who know that the four-leaf clover is host to a deadly
poison, strong enough to kill the largest of giants.
And no wonder so few know.
After all, if you happened to be fortunate enough to find something so rare,
you'd be unlikely to want to eat it!
* * * * * * * * *
150 - Basilisk / Genus - Beast / Classification - Serpent
Observations: Being a variety of serpent able to maintain its body temperature
regardless of its environs, preferring to live in colder regions. It has two
distinctive scale-patterns on its breast which are said to be the result of
interbreeding between two strains of serpent.
As its body is covered with scales of surpassing smoothness, it is able to
move quickly through areas of deep snow.
On the Dissection of Beasts: A single piercing Gaze from that Eye turneth the
hale Body to Stone, or so it is said.
The Serpent Eye Men calleth it, and with Fear.
It is thought this Belief derives from the Similarity observed between
common Serpents, and certain Ophidian Creatures of malevolent Nature, who
holdeth the Power to turn Others to Stone.
The inner Fold of their Eyelid being Stone as a Matter of Course, those who
found these Creatures newly slain witnessed there the power of the Serpent Eye.
* * * * * * * * *
151 - Alraune King / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being a mutated form of alraune, its horns having acquired
strength akin to that of metal through ceaselessly struggling for dominance
within the pack.
The combat awakened those who survived, and as one they departed.
In a secret place they now forgather, locked in combat through day and night,
to determine the strongest alraune in the world.
A Curious Treasure: The sharp and deadly weapon of the alraune king is indeed
but a coiled up vine. They may whirl it around at will, skewering anything
which strays too close. The report of one such vine penetrating wyrmscale is no
idle rumor.
Indeed, the gyrating power of the gimble stalk is greatly to be feared, and
if its strength could but be applied to weapons of war, oh, the victories one
might claim...
* * * * * * * * *
152 - Behemoth / Genus - Giant / Classification - Behemoth
Observations: Being a giant lord of darkness, fashioned by the gods during the
creation of heaven and earth.
Its muscles are hard as steel, and its bones made of bronze.
Originally appearing as a great ox, the souls of the many warriors it killed
in battle have altered its form forever. This diet of death has added to it
skill in combat withal, as it draws strength and knowledge from the warrior-
souls imprisoned within its veins.
Tips for the Adventurer: If you've confidence in your abilities as an
adventurer, it's said the behemoth is the perfect test of one's mettle.
Should you defeat one, your confidence will grow still further, and the
vitality you gain by consuming a behemoth steak will help you to yet greater
feats.
In this world where the strong eat of the weak, there can be no mistaking but
that this is the true path of those who would succeed.
* * * * * * * * *
153 - Onion Queen / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Every season, a fresh and beautiful female wild onion is selected
by her peers to lead the patch. The chosen one, filled with confidence in her
own beauty, becomes elegant, noble, and queen-like in every respect.
There are some who theorize that, to preserve her beauty, the onion queen
becomes wary, fearing injury. However, judging by their undiminished propensity
for violent behavior, the wise observer might question the veracity of this
theory.
On the Subject of Names: Why is it that we use the name of a certain vegetable
to refer both to those who excel and also those without experience in the ways
of the world?
It is a well-known fact that all heroes in all tales disliked vegetables as
children. Their legend begins with their overcoming of this weakness, and then
continues with a journey filled with hardships.
That noble vegetable, the onion, lives on as a symbol of hardships overcome,
and as the mark of a true hero.
* * * * * * * * *
154 - Preying Mantis / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mantis
Observations: Being a strain of killer mantis bearing four pairs of large wings
upon its back.
Though the wings have atrophied, a flight membrane spanning the legs suggests
that these creatures were once able to fly.
They are carnivorous by nature, and very aggressive, attacking with their
blood red sickles held high.
Many villagers call them demons, hungry for blood, and tell tales of them to
scare children at night.
A Curious Treasure: One popular theory goes that the wind carries within its
gossamer folds invisible sickles, apt to swirl and cut men's flesh. When these
sickles are bared, the sound of slicing wind is heard in the air, and the body
is suddenly ripped and torn.
As no blood comes from the cuts, and there is no pain, many are they who have
died without knowing aught was wrong. People call these unseen threats the
sickle-blades.
* * * * * * * * *
155 - Pumpkin Star / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being named for its prominence in the upper echelons of pumpkin
head society.
These creatures know of learning, and all are dedicated to the pursuit of
some form of knowledge. For those who show the most success, there is a reward:
a star-shaped lantern.
In recent years, their intellect has advanced by leaps and bounds, causing
some natural philosophers to fear a coming clash with our civilization in the
days to come.
A Curious Treasure: There once lived a young boy who was wont to study even as
the sun fell and the moon rose. In time, people came to call him a sage. Born
to a farm, he took a pumpkin grown from his own patch and made of it a lantern,
thereby reading at night when all of his daily duties were discharged.
So did the boy grow in knowledge until he was wise.
Therefore do we say that the light of the pumpkin is a symbol of great
learning, and so has the jack-o'-lantern become a favored affectation of
scholars.
* * * * * * * * *
156 - Golem / Genus - Plant / Classification - Golem
Observations: Being a great, soulless, vegetative creature that supports its
mass and moves about by means of extraordinarily long arms.
Said to be the manifestation of tree spirits, from trees burned down on
battlefields, golems are peaceful by nature, though they suffer no intrusion
upon their territory.
They are as strong as their lifetrees were old, so old that some are already
in advanced stages of petrifaction even as they stand.
Research Notes: Those vines and other parasitic plants that attach themselves
upon the golem draw from them their hatred and thus grow, eventually becoming
mystletainn, a word meaning "stricken by catastrophe" in the language of the
woodland peoples.
It is widely believed that without the proper purifications, mystletainn
calls misfortune upon its bearer, and has the power to kill with magicks. So do
those who approach golems unwarily, and carry home what they find, condemn
themselves to a grisly, ensorceled death, bewailing their fate with their final
breaths.
* * * * * * * * *
157 - Topstalk / Genus - Plant / Classification - Mandragora
Observations: Being a leader of sorts among the sharp-toothed deadly
nightshades.
They live upon the flesh of other animals and various fantastickal creatures,
the latter part of their diet causing them to become hardier than others of
their ilk.
Their vicious fangs have the property of amplifying the noise of their
screams, making them all the more clamorous and inspiring of fear.
A Curious Treasure: Upon consuming this vegetable, one loses interest in all,
the will to act... quite gone.
Recognized as a highly effective reagent for inducing languidness. The manner
of its use is up to you.
It is the lowly tomato stalk, and by all rights it should be thrown away.
* * * * * * * * *
158 - Mirrorknight / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Urstrix
Observations: Being a high rank of bagoly, the armored, flying weapons of war,
so effective in combat against enemy soldiers it was honored with knighthood.
However, with the advent of airships, the need for its presence on the
battlefield decreased, and the old flights were disbanded. Though not disposed
of in light of their past contributions, these once-proud warriors of the sky
were exiled into the wilds.
Having lost reason to fly, they soon lost the ability, and now they crawl
along the ground, hunting for prey as any common beast.
Tips for the Adventurer: There's good reason why smiths favor scales polished
to a mirror finish when making armor.
Those who see their own reflection, and the rage burning in their eyes, in
mirror scale armor are stricken, unable to move, until their enemy frees them
eternally from shame.
It is as though they are slain by their own image.
* * * * * * * * *
159 - Holy Elemental / Genus - Holy Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being the holy essence found in that which is sacred and pure.
Occurring only in places where the Mist runs deep, a fact which has led some
natural philosophers to speculate on a deep lying connection between the aspect
of holiness and the Mist.
Of all the elementals, the holy elemental is truly a boon, ridding the
accursed of evil spirits, lending strength to the righteous, and passing
judgment on the wicked.
Sage Knowledge (20 of 78): The Garland: No. 1 Heavy Carrier Class airship.
Being the flagship of the anti-Imperial coalition forces led by Marquis
Ondore.
Built in secret by the Marquis to prepare for war against the Archadian
empire. Believed to have much the same capabilities as the Imperial heavy
carrier Alexander.
* * * * * * * * *
160 - Tartarus / Genus - Undead / Classification - Wolf
Observations: Being a beast with fur of deep green, with a white geometrickal
pattern of great beauty thereupon.
Originally living in the depths of the underworld, they evolved to look like
the virulently poisonous tartar-fronds of hell, thereby to avoid predation.
The tartarus are as evil and violent as that upon which they feed: souls
condemned to hell's bottom.
Sage Knowledge (73 of 78): The Feywood: An ancient wood deep in the jungles of
Golmore. The combination of deep Mist and regular snow, the latter a product of
the region's elevation, is enough to keep away even the viera.
Many of the trees have stood for several thousands of years, and some have
begun to petrify.
Numerous plants once thought extinct grow here, and many rare birds and
animals can be seen in their primitive forms, unchanged for millennia.
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< 3.19 - THE ANCIENT CITY OF GIRUVEGAN > [ BT19 ]
161 - Ose / Genus - Beast / Classification - Coeurl
Observations: Being a strain of the coeurl easily identified by its black
stripes on ashen fur and splendid crest.
The patterning on its head grows more complex with age, with the coeurl
possessing the most advanced whorls designated as pack leader, and those
beneath it fixed in a rigid hierarchy based on their patterns. This social
structure makes the ose a dangerous pack hunter.
The Adventurer's Handbook: Ah, the famous coeurl! While one may scoff at its
high-priced pelt, few are those who would pass up the chance to claim one of
those distinctive whiskers!
More than any monetary value, it is the sheer difficulty of obtaining this
rare prize that compels the true adventurer to dust off his sword arm and take
up the challenge. And what a choice! Claim the fine, expensive fur, or risk
bloodying it for the chance to claim that elusive coeurl whisker?
If this seems like the perfect conundrum to you, you're a true adventurer.
* * * * * * * * *
162 - Shadonir / Genus - Undead / Classification - Sleipnir
Observations: Being a warhorse, the oldest breed known in Ivalice, once
belonging to the great cavalry of an ancient state known for its love of
warfare.
These majestic and terrifying creatures determined victory in battle in an
age when cannon and like armaments were unknown, and they were truly loved by
their handlers and the people of the land they served. For their part, they
harbor an undying loyalty to their homeland, though it be naught more now than
dust and echoes.
They serve and protect its memory to this very day, though their bodies have
faded and they are something near to spirits.
Sage Knowledge (24 of 78): Clans of Ivalice: Clans exist throughout Ivalice,
the majority of them being quite small. Still, of those clans operating in the
largest cities, many have earned a name for themselves through their
accomplishments.
Clan Diatroma of Bhujerba and Clan Buckaboo of Balfonheim Port are some of
the more famous regional clans. Of late, a young clan in Dalmasca by the name
of Clan Centurio has become a household name.
Along the Phon Coast, bands of hunters fulfill the role of clans, hunting
local monsters and keeping the peace.
* * * * * * * * *
163 - Giruveganus / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Tyrant
Observations: Being a tyrant-wyrm driven to madness by Mist; now a violent,
capricious creature.
The naturalist Merlose writes, in one of her most harrowing accounts:
"...that hideous Mist which spilleth forth from its dark core raiseth a mirage
before the eyes, and I am blind with fear and apprehension, for its nebulous
form is madness incarnate. I pray that my skill with the blade faileth me not
in this most dire circumstance."
Its eyes shine with a curious luminescence, allowing it to see quite well in
dark, underground corridors.
The Adventurer's Handbook: 'Tis the height of folly to brandish arms against a
tyrant that has no more form than a mirage.
The broken greataxes left by those who tried and failed should be proof
enough of that.
In order to truly defeat a foe, one must know more than the foe's character
and physiology. One must listen to what the dead have to say on the subject.
No one wants to be next in line to have their greataxe broken.
* * * * * * * * *
164 - Skulwyrm / Genus - Undead / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Being a dragon bound by magicks so powerful, it has forgotten to
die. Its life continues, though the flesh fall from its bones, and so will it
continue until its bones too are nothing but dust. Only then may it rest.
With the passing of eons, its intellect has faded to something primal and
violent, and its dim awareness of its own decay makes it all the more
unpredictably vicious.
An Anonymous Report: A wyrm bone brought to the bazaar has reportedly begun
attacking merchants.
We have received numerous other reports, and are currently investigating
possible connections. Findings to date suggest the involvement of a reanimator
cult, but they have so far proven elusive and have yet to be brought to
justice.
The investigation continues.
* * * * * * * * *
165 - Vivian / Genus - Plant / Classification - Malboro
Observations: Being the primordial malboro, born in antiquity of an elder
witch.
All malboro alive today are said to descend from the vivian.
Upon its head rests a crown, signifying its status as a queen among its kind.
Over the course of its long life, its body's youthful hue has faded, now being
entirely devoid of color.
There are some chroniclers who hold that the witch-mother of the malboros was
indeed named "Vivian," and was no witch at all, but a plant-creature herself.
Sage Knowledge (75 of 78): Giruvegan: Ancient city said to lie deep within the
Jagd Difohr. A dense Mist conceals its actual location.
There are some who claim that it holds the secrets of a legendary
civilization that flourished before men knew the workings of the world, but
none remain who know the truth.
Many are the expeditions sent to find this place and record its knowledge,
but most have disappeared in the Feywood, or despaired while attempting to
understand what artifacts have been found. To this day, we are no closer to
discovering Giruvegan, or illuminating its mysteries.
* * * * * * * * *
166 - Forbidden / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Those who are born with undying souls, filled with the purest
hatred and jealousy, are wryly called the "forbidden," for what sane Creator
would truly allow such monstrosities to exist?
Being zombified as a result of the gradual decay of the flesh around the
eternal soul, yet these cursed beings have ever been the subject of much study
by those obsessed with the ideal of eternal life. Perhaps this is why they
despise Man with such venom.
Aletap Rumors: Have ye heard? Take a broken spear 'n' some mystletainn, an'
wrap 'em in a Ketu board, right? Ye ken wha' happens? They burst inta fleem!
Hard te believe, eh? Bot it's true! Why, tha's the very method fer makin' one
o' them gungir spears, so it is!
Course, ye cannae jus' burn the wee thingies. Ye have te wait 'til she flares
up on her oon! Tha's all important, tha' is. One look at the fruits o' ye
labors an' ye'll agree 'twas weell worth the bother.
Faren, Warrior
* * * * * * * * *
167 - Gargoyle Baron / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: Being a creature with giant, white gossamer wings. Its head is
rather small, and it has a habit of wearing a small crown set with magicite.
Wing-like ears are set far back on its head to pick up sounds from all
around, and perhaps also to sense for shifts in the Mist.
Its body is covered in Ashen hide, as devoid of color as its character is of
warmth, its bearing being cold and merciless.
Aletap Rumors: "One truth known is the key to one hundred magicks, and the end
to one thousand lives."
If you think you understand this ancient maxim, by all means, look deeper.
Perhaps then you will gain the wisdom, if not the strength, required to wield
the destructive power of the magickal shard known as the scathe mote... but I
doubt it.
Elias the Sage
* * * * * * * * *
168 - Reaper / Genus - Undead / Classification - Reaper
Observations: Great reapers, takers of life, ghost-kin in name but gods of
death in truth. Being originally sent from on high to work upon mortals, texts
in all religions mention these beings with fear and awe.
While each account differs, all agree on one thing: that the reapers exist
only to free the soul of its earthly bonds and bear it back to the heavens.
They appear before us to foretell our deaths, appearing again only when the
time for severing worldly ties has come.
Sage Knowledge (36 of 78): The Archadian Empire: The mightiest sovereign state
in Valendia. Originally a republic governed by an active senate, the rise of
the military brought about the shift to an imperial system 200 years ago. With
the change in governance, Archadia began invading its neighboring lands,
quickly becoming the largest realm in Ivalice.
While in the past the emperor was traditionally of military extraction, a
purge of key figures in the military by the politically powerful House Solidor
led to the installation of a line of Solidor emperors which continues to this
day.
* * * * * * * * *
169 - Mom Bomb / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Bomb
Observations: Being a magickal construct much like a simple explosive, created
by the lords of the ancient city to prevent intruders reaching its heart.
Its body is formed of a strong metal of surpassing quality, beneath which
seethe magicks and Mist under tremendous pressure.
Though they are individuals, as a side-effect of their simultaneous creation
they are as facets of a single consciousness, and have been known to coordinate
their attacks on intruders to deadly effect.
Sage Knowledge (37 of 78): The Rozarrian Empire: Empire located in the west of
Ordalia, possessing an army rumored to be the equal of the Archadian Imperial
forces.
Though an emperor rules, Rozarria is a military state, and the armed forces
carry much political power.
In recent years, the Margrace Imperial family has sought to limit the
military's power, embarking on a series of reforms to restrict the scope of
their authority.
Archadia's unprovoked invasion of Dalmasca sent shockwaves through the
Rozarrian establishment, and many are those who see a war between empires
looming on the horizon.
* * * * * * * * *
170 - Mythril Golem / Genus - Construct / Classification - Golem
Observations: Being a magickal construct, fashioned of pure mythril.
Though mythril's strength in proportion to its weight surpasses any other
metal, many layers of such were used in the construction of this golem,
sacrificing lightness for sheer durability.
Machines of war, the destructive power of these golems is greatly feared on
the battlefield.
The Annals: In the deepest reaches of the past, an underground kingdom there
was, and here did they make the metal known as mythril, a metal so strong that
even magma cannot mar it.
The flame gigas saw this and were displeased, and so did they launch a grand
assault on the kingdom under the earth.
At the end of a long, brutal war, the gigas were defeated, yet the kingdom
too, fell into ruin, sinking deeper still beneath the surface, away from the
light, and into obscurity until it and its prized mythril were discovered by
adventurers centuries later.
* * * * * * * * *
171 - Necrophobe / Genus - Undead / Classification - Ghost
Observations: Being a particularly accursed variety of ghost, that fearing
death so greatly, wanders in denial of his own demise.
So irrational is his fear, he is certain that all who cross his path mean him
mortal harm, and so strikes first.
It is recorded in the annals that once, when a score of these cruelly
afflicted beings appeared in a village, they were halted by magickal panels
facing each of the cardinal directions, this device barring all misfortune from
entering the homes of the people who lived there. Safe though they were, the
villagers were nonetheless besieged. Fearing starvation as much as the violence
of their enemy, many contemplated suicide, but as the sun set on the third day,
they peered through their windows to find that the ghosts had vanished, never
to be seen again.
Research Notes: The Athenaeum, one of the few respectable institutes of
research into Ivalice's past, has released notes on the effects of the rare
substance known as ambrosia.
Though liquid, the ambrosia collected from the creature known as the
necrophobe is so light as to be almost vapor. All ancient records agree on its
fantastic efficacy in the healing of wounds and the prevention of aging.
According to the new report, however, it is the powerful hallucinatory
effects of this substance that create these perceived benefits.
* * * * * * * * *
172 - Diakon Entite / Genus - Diakon Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: In ages past, the gods took to the air and from here shone with a
brilliant light, so that Man might not walk forever in shadow. The light drove
out cold, thinned fear's grim pall, and purified that which was corrupt and
evil. Yet Man was not pleased. He grasped for the light, seeking to make it his
own. He wanted to be a god.
So the gods quit their heavenly seat, and created the diakon entites, whereby
to judge Man with a fierce and holy righteousness. Thus did Man seize light,
and in so doing, lose the favor of the gods.
The Entite Pact: The power of holiness is salvation. The power of holiness is
faith. Worship it, and it will be an absolute. Worship it, and it will know no
doubt.
Yet strike it down with the power of darkness, and its eyes will open, and it
shall know fear. Holiness, fearful, shall surely offer the shining electrum to
you.
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< 3.20 - THE RIDORANA CATARACT > [ BT20 ]
173 - Deathclaw / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mantis
Observations: Being a variety of mantis having a brown, shell-like husk.
The anterior wings are vestigial, having lost most of their flight membranes.
The stripes on its mantle increase in number at a rate of one per year, while
its sickle forelimbs grow harder with age, eventually becoming desiccated and
stone-like.
Sage Knowledge (67 of 78): The Ridorana Cataract: A strange opening in the
seafloor that has created an endless whirlpool, drawing the surrounding sea
ever downwards. An island is situated at the cataract's edge, on which stands a
great pharos surrounded by ancient ruins.
Its size suggests that once a great city flourished here, but of its rise and
fall nothing is known.
The area surrounding this island is jagd, preventing approach by airship,
while the proximity of the cataract and its tidal pull make it impossible to
reach the island by sea.
* * * * * * * * *
174 - Cassie / Genus - Plant / Classification - Malboro
Observations: Being a violent strain of the malboro created in experimentation
by the natural philosopher Catharine Asua, an expert of great renown,
specializing in the physiology of plants.
The "wild cassie," as her creation became known, spread on account of a
researcher who carried seeds out of her laboratory.
The cassie is easily identifiable by its ruddy brown coloration and curious
patch of gold fur.
Its creator shall never know respite from guilt until the day when the last
cassie is thrown onto the mulch-pile.
A Curious Treasure: There is a charm, the working of which requires that one
draw nine stars upon a prayer-board in the blood of a cassie.
Depending upon the configuration of the stars, the board may be used for the
warding of evil, the fulfillment of pure wishes, or other such noble cause.
This Ketu board is popular amongst market-goers, being one of the most widely
available charms today.
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< 3.21 - THE PHAROS > [ BT21 ]
175 - Abaddon / Genus - Beast / Classification - Toad
Observations: Being beasts born from the bones of an ancient creature that has
long lain dead within the Pharos. Of these, the most violent are called bulls,
and greatly feared by even their own kin.
Thick purple veins stripe its body, constantly oozing a viscous fluid, by
which action impurities are removed from the creature's blood. The foul
discharge serves also as a slippery second skin, deflecting the blades and
claws of those who would do it harm.
Sage Knowledge (62 of 78): The Port at Balfonheim: Prosperous port on the
Naldoan Sea renowned for its rich fishing grounds. In addition to fishing, the
port is known for its shipwrights and their numerous contributions to the
advancement of seacraft. Though demand has dropped with the spread of airships,
the wrights are still able to turn a profit on their catch.
The power in Balfonheim rests with the sea captains and pirates of wealth.
Though belonging in name to the Archadian Empire, well-placed regular bribes
have ensured the city autonomous governance.
The city itself is small, being a classic port town, with many stone-cobbled
alleyways winding between buildings which hug the curve of the hills. Fresh
seafood can be found in the market stalls daily, along with many other items
brought by pirates and traders.
Several waterways run through the city, some carrying drinking water, others
used as canals for the transport of goods.
The manse of Pirate King Reddas stands in the western quarter of Balfonheim.
* * * * * * * * *
176 - Chimera Brain / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Cockatrice
Observations: Sorcerers twisted into fell beings by the spiteful magicks of
rivals.
Though full half of their wit be dissipated by ensorcelment, they still
possess great magickal power. Perhaps because of their history, they fear mages
greatly, and travel in packs for strength.
Report #A0075 O.P.O.D.: Eat the head of the wise, and his wisdom you shall
gain! Like eating food whence to gain nourishment.
To determine the truth of this, I have just now eaten a whole chimera head.
No effects as yet. On the morrow, we shall see.
-No further entries, poacher no longer at large. Investigation closed, by
Imperial Decree.
Sgt. Xerse of the 8th
* * * * * * * * *
177 - Bune / Genus - Giant / Classification - Headless
Observations: Being the avatar of a demon summoned by ritual. Unlike other
demons, to protect is its bounden duty... but that which it protects need not
be a person or place. Some are set to protect the calm of a town, or the peace
in a city.
Scops sing of these curious creations as the gentle hand of evil.
Research Notes: Engrave naked steel with this special pattern, work magicks
into the steel over several days, and it will transform into the never-rusting
alloy known as Damascus steel.
This tempering process works only with steel, and is utterly ineffectual when
applied to other metals.
This is due to the presence of the power of Earth within steel, being neither
too abundant nor too sparse, and accounts for the recent rise in the metal's
price.
* * * * * * * * *
178 - Magick Pot / Genus - Fiend / Classification - ???
Observations: Not a single report of this curious and rare fiend's capture or
slaying has ever been circulated.
In the past, these creatures were demons of legendary might, foes unto the
gods themselves. The gods feared them and their power, and so changed their
form to that of a harmless pot.
Though their strength be stolen, and their temperament cooled by
transformation, they still possess terrible magickal powers. Anyone seeking to
best one of these beings is advised to approach with caution, and perhaps a
show of good-will, too, lest they suspect and strike the first blow... for it
might well be the last.
Sage Knowledge (7 of 78): The Light of Kiltia: Religion begun by the prophet
Kiltia over two millennia ago.
The religion of the Ordalian peoples is a dualist system - a polytheistic
pantheon with the God of Light, Faram the Father, at its head.
After embarking on a pilgrimage to proselytize and deliver the word of the
vision he had seen to the people, Kiltia came to Mt Bur-Omisace, and from there
his teachings spread. The Light of Kiltia, as his teachings were called,
continued even after his death, until they covered all Ivalice. Though the
followers and churches of Kiltia are spread far and wide, they do not interfere
in affairs of state or governance.
Though at one point the church held considerable influence, they willingly
discarded that power, fearing oppression. Ever since, church officials with the
rank of celebrant or higher have been forbidden from participating in
statecraft. In addition, Mt Bur-Omisace maintains a mutual non-incursion policy
with the surrounding territories.
Several years after Kiltia's founding, Saint Ajora began a new teaching,
claiming that Faram alone was the one true god, the popularity of this new sect
further lessening the power of the Light.
* * * * * * * * *
179 - Reaver / Genus - Giant / Classification - Behemoth
Observations: Being a giant entity with the power to cross the divide between
this world and the spirit world.
Its body is highly muscled, requiring massive amounts of energy to sustain
movement, as the reaver's voracious appetite for the flesh of other creatures
well attests.
The horns atop its head are of incredible hardness, able to notch even
adamantite.
On rare occasions, a reaver of exceptional strength is born, this being a
high reaver, and even more to be feared than the more common variety.
Sage Knowledge (68 of 78): The Pharos at Ridorana: Giant tower standing on an
island near the Ridorana Cataract.
Though not actually a lighthouse, a curious light emits from its upper
reaches, piercing the darkest night, so earning it the name of the Pharos.
Similarities can be seen between the architectural style of the tower and that
of the ruins about it, but there are none who know the details of its creation.
* * * * * * * * *
180 - Crusader / Genus - Undead / Classification - Skeleton
Observations: Being an undead warrior of some former renown, wearing armor of
polished mythril.
In life, these fell soldiers belonged to an invading army that massacred many
people. It was the hatred of the slain that cursed the warriors, condemning
them to an eternal unlife of aimless wandering. Scourged with remorse for their
crimes and hatred for those who led the invasion, they ceaselessly roam the
world, hoping one day to claim revenge.
Aletap Rumors: There is a metal, a rare metal called gemsteel found only in the
hidden enclaves of warriors. The manner of its making is shrouded in mystery,
but the finished product is traded commonly enough.
Why, I should think that gemsteel would show up in the bazaar stalls sooner
or later if enough raw materials found their way to market. I'm sure that one
of them would turn out to be the secret ingredient!
Bardok, Thaumaturgist
* * * * * * * * *
181 - Aeronite / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Wyvern
Observations: Being a creature of extreme rarity, its body lighter than the air
itself.
Vents upon its back belch heat and steam upward, keeping the creature from
floating too high. Should these vents be damaged, it would rise up and be
carried away on the winds.
Aeronites are revered among many cultures as a symbol of holiness, appearing
as a motif in sculpture and murals.
Concerning Heraldry: The airship armadas of one far-off land display a blood
red wyvern wing as their heraldic crest.
In this land, colors are used to distinguish class, with red being most
auspicious and thus highest in rank, used both for the royal family and, it
being a military state, for their elite fleet.
This Redwing Armada is said to be the strongest in the world, and serves as
an excellent deterrent to invasion.
* * * * * * * * *
182 - Dragon Lich / Genus - Undead / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: When it so happens that a dragon lives long enough to forget its
own mortality, it becomes a dragon lich.
Once zombified, it will never know true death. Unless it is somehow reminded,
the creature is doomed to wander for an eternity. This phenomenon is believed
to be a product of the dragon's iron will, in combination with its startling
vitality.
Interestingly, there are recorded cases of dragons being freed from
zombification. Whether this be achieved by some secret means, or by fatal
force, the result is, of course, the same.
Torn Note: Is an empty vessel not waste, to be freely discarded?
And if it is, then is a body bereft of the soul not the same? No matter how
dear the friend, should they perish, and their soul move on, what's left behind
is naught but a shell.
But then... why am I so vexed?
If this body is truly waste, then why do I despise the corpse flies that
gather about it so?
* * * * * * * * *
183 - Cataract Aevis / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Being a dragon with a carapace of deep-sea blue, found living in
the Pharos.
These creatures spend their infant stage in the great cataract surrounding
the island upon which the Pharos was built. Their aquatic origin is discernable
in the water grooves cut into their scales, and the smooth slipperiness of
their hides.
Though they possess eyes, they cannot see well in the gloom of the Pharos,
and rely primarily on their acute hearing to detect prey and predator alike.
Sage Knowledge (56 of 78): Old Archades: District on the outskirts of Archades.
With the transfer of governance to the Imperial system, a new city was
created, the existing city blocks now belonging to the old quarter.
At the time, the underprivileged lived here along with nobles who had lost
power with the rise of the Empire, while those with power lived in the new
city.
Now, several centuries later, little has changed. The residents of the old
quarter are largely itinerants and those others outside the protection of
Imperial law.
Unlike the new city where buildings tower towards the sky, the old city
remains brick and stone. Everything feels neglected, abandoned to a fate of
slow decay. With officials less than inclined to worry about the old quarter's
governance, little or no effort has ever been made to revitalize the area.
* * * * * * * * *
184 - Brainpan / Genus - Construct / Classification - Facer
Observations: Being statues of ill-favored aspect, set inside the great Pharos.
It is said they were created in antiquity to protect the magicite that lies
sleeping at the very top of the tower. Yet the magickal power of the stone they
were set to guard corrupted them, and they became twisted and evil, attacking
all without pause or purpose.
Strong magicks seethe within these statues, gradually building up before
erupting from their mouths in brilliant rays of light.
Sage Knowledge (1 of 78): The Age of Gods: Many thousand years ago, all-
powerful beings looked down upon the land, and their rule was absolute. They
commanded all things on the earth. All was done according to their will.
Then one day they withdrew behind the walls of a great city of their own
making, disappearing from history's stage. In the vacuum left behind, Ivalice
fell into chaos, until the march towards a new age finally began.
* * * * * * * * *
185 - Purobolos / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Bomb
Observations: Being a bomb-shaped fiend dwelling within the Pharos.
The bones of ancient monstrosities were used in its creation, trapping within
it a fearsome volume of magicks and Mist.
Its goal is first and last the defense of the magicite sleeping at the very
top of the Pharos.
To this end will it give its life, going out with something of a bang if
necessary.
The History of Things: Until quite recently, the mallet was a tool used
exclusively to bring the deeply distressed to their senses.
However, the violent appearance of the tool has lessened its popularity of
late, and mallet-makers everywhere are feeling the strain of a downturn in
demand.
But now a savior has emerged from a most unlikely direction: the famed Mameco
the Pug and several other mummers have begun using mallets in their work on the
stage. Nothing is more crowd-pleasing than braining a fool with a mallet, it
seems.
* * * * * * * * *
186 - Deidar / Genus - Construct / Classification - Facer
Observations: Being a statue of stone set to protect the holy magicite that
lies sleeping within the Pharos.
Its surface is caked with the dried blood and gore of countless creatures who
have died trying to claim the stone for themselves.
The statue has been worked with numerous mechanisms for stopping intruders to
the Pharos, though such subtleties have long since been lost to a Mist-induced
madness that now possesses this construct.
Research Notes: A certain kind of metal is always used when making statues of
protection.
This orichalcum is a curious metal indeed, ever burning with a cold flame.
That it appears as a flame, in fact, has led to the belief that orichalcum has
no true substance... but combine an incandescent flame with the cool-burning
flame of the metal, and the energy given off as a result will be quite real
enough to convince even the stubbornest skeptic.
This is the power that moves the statues.
* * * * * * * * *
187 - Mistmare / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Nightmare
Observations: Being a variety of mallicant whose plant-like covering has
withered, and turned a dull blue.
It thrives on Mist itself, even absorbing hostile magicks on occasion, hence
requiring no food or other material sustenance.
Its dependence on Mist, and the fearful reports of black mages who saw their
finest magicks consumed, earned it its name.
Street Corner Musings: Man, monster, all heed the sway of the stars.
All lives are guided by twelve stars, and the star to which you belong
determines your fate.
When the fire of a life dies, sometimes, rarely, it leaves behind a gemstone
of great beauty.
When the wheels of fate stop, and the soul leaves its starry home, then does
it become a jewel.
Unknown Astrologer
* * * * * * * * *
188 - Undin Entite / Genus - Undin Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: The gods gave water to Man to purify and cleanse pollution, and
they made the rains fall to purify and cleanse the land. The clean land gave
rise to flowers and plants, nurturing Man.
Yet Man continued to pollute himself and his land, trusting ever in the gods
to cleanse what damage he wrought, so the gods sent down a deluge until the
land was sunk in deep waters.
It is said this deluge gave rise to the undin entite.
The Entite Pact: The power of water is the power of benediction
Blessings to all it gives, yet it covers all, jealously wanting for itself.
Wield the roaring flame, wither the water's lust until its desire is parched
and dry.
The water, once withered, will be reborn as tears, and when those tears flow,
thence will you find the shining electrum.
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< 3.22 - ZERTINAN CAVERNS > [ BT22 ]
189 - Speartongue / Genus - Beast / Classification - Toad
Observations: Being a land-dwelling toad, lacking the webbed digits of its
waterborne kin.
Found most often in arid climes, their skin secretes an oil, thereby to
prevent loss of moisture. Their hind quarters are well-suited to traveling on
land, and they rear up on them when threatened, freeing their powerful
forelimbs for attack.
The Adventurer's Handbook: There's a trick to getting your hands on some of the
salve known as frog oil.
See, the oil runs through the body along with the blood, and when it reaches
the head-horns, only the oil is secreted from the tips. So that's where you
need to look.
However, should you kill the creature, blood and oil will congeal, making the
oil impossible to extract.
That's why, if you need a lot of oil, you have to cut the horns off while the
creature is still alive.
I didn't say it was easy.
* * * * * * * * *
190 - Grenade / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Bomb
Observations: Being a bomb built as a weapon of war, augmented by infusions of
Mist.
Its explosive power is many times that of regular bombs, releasing Mist from
its body in a devastating shockwave.
Though possessed of a particularly evil smile, this fiend has no thoughts as
such, its expression being crafted as a means to threaten foes and harm morale.
A Tale Told in Antiquity: There is a tale sometimes told of a great battle that
took place in a land of deep snows, a conflict between invader and invaded.
Though the invaders took the day, too weary were they to take their leave of
the battlefield, for the snow was very deep, and the footing treacherous. And
so the snows came in the night, killing the invaders as they slept. Of those
who fought in that battle, only one man, a villager, survived to make the
journey home. Finding a bomb fragment from one of the invaders' cruel weapons,
he used its fire to set light to the bodies of both friend and foe, and by that
warmth did he cling to life, and by that glow did he mend his wounds.
* * * * * * * * *
191 - Scythe Mantis / Genus - Insect / Classification - Mantis
Observations: Being a variety of mantis with purple and blue coloration, feared
for its aggressive nature, and the sharp sickle-like claws with which it rends
and dismembers foes.
Their claws are made from an incredibly hard metallic substance, serving both
as weapons and as shields against enemies' attacks.
Its celadon stripes shift hues with the light, making the woven patterns seem
to float above the surface of the creature's carapace.
On Being Fashionable: With the exception of the elegant fabrics worn by the
very wealthy, giving new life to old garments is the order of the day.
Why, even the tattered garments worn by a man the day before he died would
find a buyer at market.
That is why we must always wash our clothes with great diligence. After all,
you never know who might be wearing them tomorrow.
* * * * * * * * *
192 - Slime / Genus - Amorph / Classification - Flan
Observations: "Should I chance to gaze upon but one more of these foul, fetid,
green-slime-coated atrocities, I shall surely lose what wit remaineth to me,"
wrote the naturalist Merlose after encountering this vile strain of flan.
Their bodies absorb light which they then emit to lure prey in the gloom of
caverns. They are also able to release light in a dazzling flash, temporarily
blinding foes.
With their giant mouths, they swallow prey whole, using the nutrients from
their food to divide and multiply, creating ever more flan-kin to terrorize and
disgust.
A Curious Treasure: A pure extract of oil from the creature known as the slime
has been garnering the attention of natural philosophers.
This slime oil has been found to have wondrous properties when used as a base
or reagent in the making of medicines and various tinctures.
Though the specific means of its use are closely guarded, it is clear that
the special attributes of slime oil make it better than oil from other sources.
We can but hope that our chefs do not discover it to be well-suited to cookery!
* * * * * * * * *
193 - Archaeoaevis / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Plate Wyrm
Observations: Being the oldest living variety of plate wyrm, and thus thought
to be the ancient dragon's original form.
The petrified remains of long-extinct flora cling to its carapace, a
testament to its incredible age.
Though it favors dark, sandy caverns, the constantly swirling sand has
withered away its sight. Because of this, its sense of touch has heightened to
the point where it can sense the slightest movements in the air, thereby to
find its prey and strike.
Torn Note: The contest for possession of these great, expensive, masterpieces
of vanity has brought a kingdom to its knees.
For many years, nowhere was their existence acknowledged, but then, through
miraculous circumstance, did they find their way into my hands.
Here I will write the truth of what happened, in its entirety, so that the
story be known.
On the surface, they appear to be emperor scales, yet upon clo
* * * * * * * * *
194 - Bogey / Genus - Undead / Classification - Ghost
Observations: Those ghosts of the highest rank are called bogeys.
When men die still clinging to fierce passion, that passion stains their
souls a deep black. Should these polluted souls not be purified, in due time
they become bogeys.
Once such a transformation occurs, even should they be slain, they will
inevitably rise again given time, inspired to yet greater hatred and wild
violence than in their last incarnation.
The Face of Art: Genius painter Jodua Sera has unveiled his first new work in
five years to a stunned public. This large-scale painting uses death powder to
create a truly unique pallet of hues.
One noted critic was quoted as saying, between sobs, "It is genius, purest
genius. Did I mention it is genius?" Others have been quick to support this
bold new foray from a well-established art maverick.
Death powder craze has spread to all of the ateliers and painters' gardens in
town and by all accounts, it looks like a new age of art is dawning.
* * * * * * * * *
195 - Mallicant / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Nightmare
Observations: Being an eldritch fiend with tentacles grown on account of its
feeding on malboros.
Formerly a herbivore, its mutation has given it the malboro's appetite for
flesh.
Using the sharp spikes that grow at the tips of its tentacles, it stabs at
its enemy's vitals with disheartening accuracy. It is said that, should each
tentacle find its mark, a man would die before sensing the merest touch.
A Curious Treasure: Demons rejoice in tempting Man with bewitching words, sweet
as nectar, luring all but those with the most stolid of natures.
Of all their temptations, one of the most famous is the magick lantern, said
to grant wishes, which indeed it does... though the price be mortally dear.
* * * * * * * * *
196 - Shambling Corpse / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Being a congregation of souls, with ties to this world so strong
they could not go on to the next. Within its frame, more than a hundred souls
reside, forcibly fused into a single being, a single flesh.
Each of the souls yearns for what it once had in life, making this horrific
creature a violent, twisted thing, wracked with confusion and hatred for the
living.
The Town Crier: Hear ye, hear ye! Case of the shambling corpse solved!
The facts behind the death of a young boy at the hands of a shambling corpse
a fortnight past have been uncovered! Upon examination of the zombie, it was
found that the necklace it wore belonged to a certain young maiden of which the
boy was fond, thereby proving that the shambling corpse was none other than his
bonny lass!
This blood-stained necklace was apparently a hand-made gift from the victim,
though as to why the girl was wearing it when she rose from her early grave,
and why she attacked her former love, nothing is known at present.
* * * * * * * * *
197 - Buer / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: Being a creature of an eerie blue complexion, with dragon-like
wings upon its back.
The buer prefers to live in dark, dry environs. Though its surroundings be
warm, it ever walks in a cloud of cold, evil airs, sending a chill up the spine
of any who encounter it.
It has long been said that when one feels a chill a buer is watching you, and
they are widely hated and feared as bringers of ill fortune.
A Curious Treasure: What a work of art, to capture the eyes of so many, and
draw a sigh from even the most heartless of creatures.
Yet because of its enchanting beauty, each one, after being made, is stolen
forthwith, and now none care to make these priceless artifacts.
The only ones who remember their true beauty are the demons that clutch them
to their breasts in pleasure born of avarice.
They are called the demon's sigh, and the world shall never know their like
again.
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< 3.23 - CEROBI STEPPE > [ BT23 ]
198 - Adamantitan / Genus - Beast / Classification - Titantoise
Observations: Of the great shelled titantoises, the strain with the shell of
the hardest metal is the adamantitan.
The naturally-occurring adamantite that forms its shell cannot be manufacted,
making the creature famous among metalworkers.
They are remarkable for the slowness of their growth, requiring several
thousands of years to reach maturity.
Research Notes: Before the advent of alloys made by Man, adamantite was for
many years the strongest metal known. Even today its quality and strength are
peerless, save for a handful of rare alloys.
That is why they tell of the fool who swallowed a shard of adamantite, only
to have it cut its way out of his belly. A salutary tale, to be sure!
* * * * * * * * *
199 - Charybterix / Genus - Avion / Classification - Diver
Observations: Being a strain of diver favoring clement, hilly areas.
Often seen catching the updrafts that blow in from the Naldoan Sea. Their
splendidly colored wings are quite distinctive, and coveted for use in the
making of many objects, both practical and ornamental. The flight pinions in
particular fetch a good price at market.
The Ways of War: Though the armor you wear may be dented and split, listen well
before you discard it on the corpse-piles of your foemen!
Should it still have the form, even if not the function, of a suit of armor,
there are many who would buy it in the market. Though there are few who know
this, it is the framework of the armor that decides its worth, not the
condition of each plate or fitting. So if you find yourself in the possession
of a suit of split armor, should it be armor of good crafting, then it shall
surely find new life at the hands of an armorer skilled in repair.
* * * * * * * * *
200 - Bandercoeurl / Genus - Beast / Classification - Coeurl
Observations: Being a variety of coeurl living in warm, mountainous regions,
whose green fur closely matches the color of alpine vegetation.
It is easily recognizable by its long whiskers and tail, the tips of which
turn a ruddy red, these being rich in blood vessels aiding the dispersal of
body heat.
This unique adaptation allows them to run very long distances without tiring,
making them better hunters than others of their species.
Sage Knowledge (61 of 78): Cerobi Steppe: Hilly highlands region in the east of
Archadia, through which the highroad to Balfonheim Port passes.
Air currents are notoriously unstable between Cerobi and Balfonheim, making
land routes here as popular as those of the air.
In the past, villagers in the region erected windmills to catch the winds
from the Naldoan Sea, and used them to mill grain from the harvest. With
advancements in the use of magicks and machineries, however, the windmills fell
into disuse and now stand merely as a reminder of the past.
* * * * * * * * *
201 - Shield Wyrm / Genus - Dragon / Classification - Fell Wyrm
Observations: Being one of the most powerful dragons ever to roam Ivalice.
Though nothing is known about the ancient beings who placed the ring on this
wyrm's neck, it is clearly meant to offer some kind of magickal protection in
battle, indicating that these dragons were once used as weapons of war.
Nor is it known what these creatures were directed to attack, but surely it
was something truly fearsome.
In modern times, its nigh impenetrable hide has earned it the nickname of the
"walking fortress" among adventurers.
The Town Crier: No other society is as difficult to penetrate as the Iron
Stomach, legendary tasting guild. The competition for entry is fierce, and the
trials required nigh on impossible to overcome.
The trial for entry this year: submit the monster liver best suited to
gourmet creations.
It is thought the markets will soon be flooded with ring wyrm livers and the
like, as everyone tries to guess just which creature's liver can make the
judges' mouths water.
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< 3.24 - THE NABREUS DEADLANDS > [ BT24 ]
202 - Emeralditan / Genus - Beast / Classification - Titantoise
Observations: Being a primal race, the oldest of the long-lived great
titantoises. Their existence is referred to only briefly in legend, and in the
absence of a verifiable sighting, they were considered to be a myth for
centuries.
However, in recent years, they have suddenly appeared, and are feared in some
regions as the Urutan Eater, scourge of the Urutan-Yensa.
Research Notes: The oldest chronicles relate the properties of a rare metal
called scarletite.
In an age when men lived under the watchful guard of the gods, the gods
granted them scarletite, for they were favored of their creators.
Modern alchemy has to date failed to reproduce this metal, lending credit to
the theory that the gods did exist, and are not merely the inventions of a
devout imagination.
Only by mixing with other metals and lowering the purity of this substance
may it be worked with modern tools.
* * * * * * * * *
203 - Leynir / Genus - Undead / Classification - Sleipnir
Observations: Being the manifest soul of a warhorse perished in the tragedy of
Nabudis.
The axe-like crest it wears was used for lowered-head charges into enemy
formations.
Training as a charger has refined its aggressive nature, and given it
unswerving loyalty. Its barding is of the Nabradian style, the method of its
making now a lost art.
Origin of Customs: The leynir, possessing a wild and wholly untamable
disposition, is a surprisingly social creature, able to share thoughts and
feelings with its kin over great distances.
Because of this, many people worship the leynir, especially such who wish to
form a special bond with another.
Indeed, it is customary for lovers to send a wargod's band to the object of
their affections, this being the perfect expression of both violent passion and
kindred feeling from afar.
* * * * * * * * *
204 - Banshee / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Appearing in places where much life has been lost, these zombies
cry for those who can no longer weep for lack of eyes, and wait for those who
can no longer moan for lack of throats.
Should you hear their mournful dirge, you would shiver and weep, and when the
tears dried, you would take your own life for sorrow.
Should you wander a battlefield, and hear the cry of one who should not be
crying, cover your ears, my child, cover your ears.
The Annals: It is recorded in the chronicles that the fearsome army led by Mad
King Dorneus was a legion of zombies, such as has never been seen before or
since.
Though the neighboring lands prepared for it, the war they feared never came,
for in the space of a night, the king, his army, and all the people of his land
disappeared, leaving naught behind them but ruins and swirling zombie powder.
The circumstance of their passing is a mystery never like to be explained.
* * * * * * * * *
205 - Leamonde Entite / Genus - Leamonde Entite / Classification - Elemental
Observations: The gods gave Man the darkness so that he might sleep in peace,
wrapping it around him as a blanket against the harsh light of day.
The darkness reminds us of death, and thus, of sweet life.
The darkness gives tone to the world, rich and varied.
Yet Man learned to hide in the shadows whence to do evil, and he summoned
demons from darkness's depths, mocking the gods' work.
So did the gods fashion the leamonde entite, that Man might fear the
darkness, sowing in his heart the terror of the night.
The Entite Pact: The power of darkness is a mighty power.
Yet it is as arrogant as it is tremendous, ever seeking to depose holiness
and rule alone. Shine a holy light upon it until there is no shadow left in
which to hide, for only then can the arrogant darkness be tamed.
The darkness will swear fealty to you, and offer up the shining electrum to
your hands.
* * * * * * * * *
206 - Foobar / Genus - Undead / Classification - Flan
Observations: Being an amorph said to come from a sea of blood, found most
commonly near battlefields and other places where battle-gore flows in rivers.
A constant internal burning sets the crimson spray splashed upon it to
boiling, spreading the rusted-iron scent of old blood on the air... a scent
known to call other spirits of the dead. With this in mind, should you happen
to encounter one of these foul things, be done with it quickly, or you may find
that you have more on your hands than you bargained for.
Sage Knowledge (63 of 78): Nabreaus Deadlands: Place once known as Nabudis, the
prosperous capital of Nabradia.
In the war against Archadia two years ago, the city was utterly destroyed,
leaving nothing but an eerie waste of swirling Mist. Even by day, the sun does
not penetrate that ever present fog.
Beneath it, the dense Mist has given rise to all manner of bizarre flora and
fauna of an invariably vicious temperament.
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< 3.25 - THE NECROHOL OF NABUDIS > [ BT25 ]
207 - Oversoul / Genus - Undead / Classification - Reaper
Observations: Being a reaper born of a magickal oath so terrible it took form,
appearing in places where much magick is woven, searching in vain for the words
that gave it its existence.
They may travel the breadth of the world in a mere instant, a matter of much
interest to many scholars, pirates, and soldiers, for if Man were able to grasp
the means by which such transport is effected, it could change the very face of
Ivalice.
The Adventurer's Handbook: Though it be the avatar of an evil soul, this does
not mean its heart is wholly given to corruption; for as there exists no
perfect good in this world, so there exists no perfect evil.
Take the oversoul, for instance. Truly as black a concentration of evil as
ever there was, but here, too, we find a sliver of goodness: the Soul of
Thamasa. For it is truly a light of unclouded love, and a boon from heaven to
the saviors of souls.
* * * * * * * * *
208 - Babil / Genus - Construct / Classification - Golem
Observations: Priests of high enough rank to speak directly to the gods are
alone allowed to communicate with these executors of divine will. Their bodies
are fashioned of a curious crystalline metal, the composition and nature of
which is beyond modern metallurgical knowledge.
When they descend to the earth from their home in the heavens, they strike
swiftly, and with malice apparent.
It is thought the babil's numbers are growing, and some scholars warn that a
great reckoning may soon be at hand.
Morgen's Research Notes: The emissaries of the gods descend to us from the
paradise far above the sky we know. Therefore must they travel between the land
and the sky, for which they use the wondrous metal einherjarium, otherwise
known as cloudstone.
The babil, servants of the gods, have bodies rich in this substance. How many
have tried to steal the cloudstone from them and thereby reach paradise? How
many have the gods stricken down for that heresy?
* * * * * * * * *
209 - Elvoret / Genus - Fiend / Classification - Gargoyle
Observations: A beast whose vestigial wings are now naught but bone.
Concentrated Mist spills forth from its body in such powerful waves that to
stand in its way is to risk losing both body and soul in one fell attack.
Perhaps this is why the name of the elvoret is so often heard in the tavern
when passions flare, the direness of the creature adding weight to the most
vehement of drunken oaths.
The Town Crier: Hear ye! There has been an announcement regarding the sudden
falling health of Lord Cupper, known for his crapulous ways and fondness of
spirits!
Based upon the testimony given by Lord Cupper upon his regaining
consciousness, the cause of his collapse in the lower market has been
determined beyond a shadow of a doubt!
It appears that, in an attempt to distill the legendary demon drink, he had
been "experimenting," a process which involved consuming roughly ten halfcasks
of alcoholic beverage a day.
Lord Cupper himself admits his excess, and has promised to confine himself to
wine, knowing it to be of a beneficial nature, in amounts not exceeding two
halfcasks per day.
* * * * * * * * *
210 - Dark Elemental / Genus - Dark Elemental / Classification - Elemental
Observations: Being an elemental of darkness, born of a fusion of powerful
hatred and Mist.
Dark elementals are born only in places where living creatures have perished
with vengeance unexacted, rising from the spilled blood of the dead.
Though they are not, by nature, evil, they suffer no challenge, and will drag
those they deem foes into the darkness.
Sage Knowledge (35 of 78): The Kingdom of Nabradia: A land neighboring
Dalmasca, both kingdoms being founded by the bloodline of the Dynast-King, who
first unified Ivalice under one rule.
Graced with beautiful landscapes and rich natural resources, Nabradia
prospered for many years as a enter of both agriculture and industry.
Two years ago, an internal struggle boiled over into civil war, this opening
the door to the Archadian invasion of Nabradia.
Several days after the beginning of the siege of Nabudis, a mysterious
explosion consumed the city, leaving a smoking ruin where the political and
cultural heart of Nabradia once stood, and sounding the deathknell for the
kingdom.
* * * * * * * * *
211 - Zombie Warlock / Genus - Undead / Classification - Zombie
Observations: Being court mages who have magicked themselves into zombies in a
fruitless quest to understand providence.
And well they knew the price, for to possess skill in magicks of such caliber
requires no small knowledge of the Art, yet for truth no cost would be too
dear.
Thus do they continue to embrace zombification, and thus do the common people
fear them, calling them warlocks, and barring them from the places they knew in
life.
Sage Knowledge (64 of 78): Necrohol of Nabudis: Palace once home to the royal
family Nabradia. Called the Verdpale Palace, it once stood proudly in the
middle of a lake. Now it stands in ruin, destroyed in the attack on Nabudis two
years ago. Though the ghost of the building remains in the crumbling walls, it
is wholly gutted and lies half-submerged in murk.
Now Mist flows freely through its abandoned halls, and its glorious memory is
profaned by a menagerie of vile creatures.
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< 3.26 - MARKS > [ BT26 ]
212 - Rogue Tomato / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - Deadly Nightshade
Description: A vexing Representative of the Deadly Nightshade Family has been
sighted nearby Rabanastre! Thankfully, it is apparently a Rogue, outcast from
its Kin, a Stranger in a strange Land, no longer possessed of those deadly
Powers it once wielded with Impunity.
In its Loneliness, it has taken to attacking Travelers and Merchants, and so
did Tomaj, an Associate of Vann, post a bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
213 - Atomos / Genus - Rank III Mark / Classification - Mutant Slaven
Description: Being a mutant Slaven, its body encrusted with all Manner of
precious Crystals.
With the passing of Months and Years, the Impurities in these Crystals are
gradually absorbed by the Creature, purpling their natural Ochre Hue to
beautiful Effect.
These Crystals are traded for a high Price, making their Bearers the Target
of much Over-hunting by Soldiers tasked with acquiring Funds for Archadia's War
Effort. So have these Slaven learned to fear and attack Men, and for this
Reason was a Bill for this Mark posted.
* * * * * * * * *
214 - Thextera / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - Mutant Wolf
Description: What Changes can sudden Mutation work on something as Common and
otherwise Unremarkable as a Wolf!
It is thought that a Diet of Creatures rich in Mist caused these Mutations,
though little is known for certain.
Recent Attacks on mercantile Caravans inspired a concerned Merchant to post a
Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
215 - Roblon / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - Augmented Automaton
Description: Being a magickal Construct of Iron, faithful to its Master always,
heeding neither Call nor Command of any Other.
This method of Control is called "Morgenstyling" after the famous
Golemologist Morgen. This particular Golem is the Creation of the great man's
Son, who was lost in Battle soon thereafter.
Now his Roblon rampages, masterless, wild, and newly Marked.
* * * * * * * * *
216 - Flowering Cactoid / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - Rare Cactoid
Description: How is it that such a beautiful Blossom might bloom atop such an
ungainly Cactoid?
Verily, its Beauty is more than in its Appearance, for the Blossom is valued
as an Ingredient in Salves, and further prized by Collectors for the rarity of
its Flowering.
Amongst the Cactoids, the red Bloom is the mark of a Leader, and the Focus of
much Respect and Adoration. However, to the villagers in the Dalmasca
Estersand, it is merely a Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
217 - Braegh / Genus - Rank IV Mark / Classification - Mutant Nightmare
Description: Fearsome Stallion burning bright, in the Jungle of the Night!
It is thought this fell Equine was created when Lightning struck a Nightmare,
lodging a Lightning Elemental within its Form. Its supple, metallic hide is a
fantastick Material, being at once both Flexible and Hard.
Recent Incidents involving Attacks upon trading Caravans led one Victim to
post a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
218 - Wraith / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - Ghost
Description: Being an undead Horror, appearing quite suddenly in the Garamsythe
Waterway to terrorize those who venture near.
It is said Wraiths are the Coalescence of the lingering Regrets of those who
perished in a tragic Accident during the Waterway's Construction. Many of those
who died were Fathers, and their Thoughts for their Sons and Daughters cause
this Creature to appear most often near Children.
A Woman, worried for a frightened Child, posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
219 - Darksteel / Genus - Rank IV Mark / Classification - Titantoise
Description: Being a Variety of Titantoise, so Rare as to be near Extinction,
having a great Shell.
Its destructive Nature and violent Tendencies toward man and other Creatures
- practically Anything standing in its Way - have earned it a Reputation among
Travelers as a Scourge.
Thus did an anxious wayfarer post a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
220 - Nidhogg / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - Blue Basilisk
Description: Formerly living in the Depths of the Lhusu Mines, this Creature
was ousted from its Lair after it was defeated by an Antlion in a Squabble over
Territory.
Of late, this Nidhogg has appeared near the Collection Area, where it pesters
and annoys the Mine Workers.
It was one of these sorely harassed Folks who posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
221 - Vyraal / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - Aevis
Description: Being a Variety of the Dragon Aevis with Scales of an exceedingly
hard Nature.
The material of these Scales is known for its Smoothness and Durability, as
well as its surpassing Lightness.
Though normally given to lurking in Mountain Passes and the like, during
Rutting season the Wyrm expands its Range and becomes rather Hostile. A Victim
of the Creature's attacks, one Viera Wayfarer, posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
222 - White Mousse / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - Mutant Flan
Description: Rarely, during the little-understood process of Subdivision by
which Flan multiply, a Flan of purest White is born, this being the White
Mousse.
Known for its Tendency to swallow prey Whole, its Digestion requiring no
masticatory assistance.
Posted as a Mark by a certain Moogling Moogle who lost an Article of some
Value.
* * * * * * * * *
223 - Lindwyrm / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - Dragon
Description: Lindwyrm, World-Destroyer, Dragon of Ruin... thus was this fell
Creature called in a kingdom now lost in Antiquity.
According to noted tale-teller Fulmon, the People of this forgotten Land
challenged the Wyrm countless times, sealing it at last within a holy shrine at
the Cost of many lives.
It was Fulmon who posted a Bill for this Mark to ascertain the truth of his
Theories.
* * * * * * * * *
224 - Ring Wyrm / Genus - Rank III Mark / Classification - Lesser Dragon
Description: Once a legendary Wyrm, in servitude to a righteous King. But this
King, fearing its violent & untameable Temperament, employed a Ring of Binding
upon it, imprisoning the Creature within a howling Sandstorm.
Now, many ages later, the Bonds upon it have been broken, and within the
Sandstorm the Wyrm rages.
The Resistance Forces training in the Dalmasca Westersand have deemed the
Creature a clear Threat to their Operations and thus have issued a Bill for
this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
225 - Overlord / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - Headless
Description: Fearsome are the indescribable, formless Horrors, yet more
fearsome still are those who mock the Form of Man, such as this headless Giant
living in the darkest Reaches of the Cave Palace where no Light ventures.
Originally a two-headed Guardian of the Gates of Hell, its Fortunes changed
when one Head turned against its Master, and both were taken in Punishment, its
body then being cast upon the Earth to suffer.
It is said that only a true warrior may best one of these, and so did a Seeq
post a Bill in Hope of finding a true Warrior to act on his Behalf.
* * * * * * * * *
226 - Wyvern Lord / Genus - Rank II Mark / Classification - Greater Wyvern
Description: This winged Monster was sighted by Imperials investigating the
Nam-Yensa Sandsea, left unpatrolled since the Fall of Rabanastre.
Several Incidents involving Damage to Property have resulted from its violent
Disposition and Tendency to strike anything that moves.
Bill posted by a well-meaning Imperial Soldier, seeking to ensure the Safety
of the City.
* * * * * * * * *
227 - Goliath / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - Augmented Automaton
Description: A magickal Fiend of great Size, appearing Sometime after the
Destruction of Nabudis.
The Manner of its Fashioning and the Source of its Power are both Mysteries,
its apparent Materials and Accouterments being wholly different from other such
Constructs.
Of late, Interest in this Fiend has spread beyond the usual scholarly Crowd,
leading Barrong, an aspiring Author of Bestiaries to post a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
228 - Marilith / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - Crimson Serpent
Description: Being a Creature of Legend, described as a holy spirit of Flame in
Bestiaries of Yore, while more practical modern Observers have contented
themselves describing it as "extremely Violent, possessed of an insatiable
Appetite for Flesh," hunting it being Difficult in the Extreme.
The viscous Secretion of its Scales is comprised of an Alcohol hot as Flame
itself, and possessed of much Alimentation, being therefore prized above all
else as an Ingredient in the Fermentation of fine Serpent-wynes. The Proprietor
of a Tavern known for exotic Potables posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
229 - Deathscythe / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - Greater Undead
Description: Being a Reaper born of the abiding Regret and Lust for vengeance
felt by those warriors who Perished in the destruction of Nabudis.
It remembers its Patriotism even in Undeath, and so appears in Dreams,
speaking words of Doom to those who would Disturb the Palace.
The Merchant Popol who most unwisely looted a Corpse in the Necrohol has
issued a Bill for this Mark so that he might again know Sleep's sweet embrace.
* * * * * * * * *
230 - Enkelados / Genus - Rank II Mark / Classification - Slaven
Description: Elder Species of Slaven, grown enormous over long years of
Evolution.
Portions of its Body have petrified even as it lives, becoming hard as Stone.
The many Swords and Arrows lodged in its Hide much resemble those employed in
ancient Warfare, testifying to the long, difficult Life led by this Creature.
A group of Garif curious to see a clan hunter firsthand petitioned for this
hunt.
* * * * * * * * *
231 - Deathgaze / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - Rare Mutant Aevis
Description: Being a giant Dragon of a rich violet Hue, spending most of its
Life in the rarefied Airs above the Clouds, only appearing before Men when its
Territory is threatened.
Though Incidents involving Airships were once quite common, of late the great
Wyrm has only been spotted at a Distance.
A boy traveling with his Family posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
232 - Croakadile / Genus - Rank II Mark / Classification - Mutant Lizard
Description: Once found over much of Ivalice, its Numbers suffered greatly
during the Time of the Glaciers, when the Animal Population dwindled, starving
it of the large Volume of Food necessary to support its massive Bulk.
This Specimen mistook a Ring for its favorite Morsel, the glittering
Glowworm, and so did the Ring's former Owner post this Bill.
* * * * * * * * *
233 - Diabolos / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - Mutant Gargoyle
Description: What strange Change does Magicite work on creatures, a perfect
Example being this Gargoyle of the Lhusu Mines.
Its form inspired the commonly held Misconception in Bhujerba that the
Creatures in its Magicite mines are Visitors from an Otherworld.
The Bill for this Monstrosity has been extant for some Time, yet none have
appeared to answer it, and so it remains, though the Petitioner's identity be
long forgotten.
* * * * * * * * *
234 - Ixtab / Genus - Rank II Mark / Classification - Undead
Description: Out Tale begins in Incident: the Slaying in cold Blood of many
Garif - a People as a Rule content to live and perish in Nature's Embrace - by
Imperials for their Opposition to an Imperial Magicite mining Operation. The
fierce Hatred of the slain Garif towards their Slayers gave rise to this
monstrous Spirit.
Having long forgotten its Purpose, it now attacks all Men it finds. Unable to
strike at their own Ancestors, the Garif posted a Bill for this Mark in hopes
that a Hunter would aid them.
* * * * * * * * *
235 - Piscodaemon / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a No Mou Male, fallen into dark, sorcerous Ways, and so
banished by the Gran Kiltias Anastasis as Punishment for his (now its) Desire
for ultimate Power in Giruvegan.
Yet the Strength of the Wards placed upon it failed with the passing of
Anastasis, and its Power returned.
The Mark's Twin, living on Mt Bur-Omisace, petitioned the hunt for this
creature.
* * * * * * * * *
236 - Feral Retriever / Genus - Rank III Mark / Classification - Coeurl
Description: Being a rare Strain of Coeurl, surpassingly Large in size, living
in Paramina Rift.
Once raised by Man as hunting partners, they are now wholly feral, and known
to descend from their Mountain Abodes during Mating Season, when they are more
than usually Violent and easily provoked.
Several Refugees making their way toward Holy Mt Bur-Omisace have been
attacked of late, and so a concerned Kiltias on the Mountain posted a Bill for
this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
237 - Wild Malboro / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - Malboro
Description: Being a mutant Form of Malboro, one of the few remaining in the
Feywood, distinguished by its foul Breath which is several Times more rank than
that of the typical Malboro.
Generally regarded as a Threat to the delicate Balance of Life in the Wood,
the Viera have watched it with great Disapproval.
Viera warriors have attempted its Extermination several Times, but were
foiled by their own acute Sense of Smell (a considerable Disadvantage in such a
Fight), and so a Bill was posted.
* * * * * * * * *
238 - Vorpal Bunny / Genus - Rank III Mark / Classification - Mutant Hare
Description: Being a Dreamhare possessing a distinctive dark-furred Body and
feathered Ears.
Its large white Tail contains a unique Oil, used by the viera for Centuries
as an Ingredient in potent Unguents and Remedies.
It is understandably quite wary of Man, and therefore difficult to Catch.
Posted as a Mark by a kind soul hoping to help her Friend become a true Salve-
Maker.
* * * * * * * * *
239 - Catoblepas / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - Behemoth
Description: A Tyrant among Behemoths, possessed of evil, red Eyes.
Such who face it are consumed with fear upon meeting its Glare, their bodies
becoming as Stone with their Terror.
A Garif who fought the Catoblepas long ago and lived to tell of his Failure
posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
240 - Mindflayer / Genus - Rank IV Mark / Classification - Mindflayer
Description: Being one of a race of Beings evolved from the lowly Amorph.
Possessed of great Intellect compared its common ilk, it attacks by
manipulating Thought with its indomitable Will.
It is far eviler than its ancestors, and Proud of its superior Nature, loving
above all Else the sight of other sentient Beings in Pain.
The Garif have sworn Enmity toward the Mindflayers, and one of them posted a
Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
241 - Fafnir / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - ???
Description: A fiendish Wyrm possessed of great Intellect, yet great Avarice
withal, sparing no Evil in the Pusuit of its Desires.
Once, seeking the Relics of the Dynast-King kept in the Stilshrine of Miriam,
did it challenge the Gran Kiltias Anastasis Himself, but was defeated, being
then secured in the depths of Paramina Rift. Most unfortunately, with the Gran
Kiltias' Passing, its Bonds failed and it attacked Mt Bur-Omisace.
One of the Devout, seeking Aid, posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
242 - Bloodwing / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - Mutant Steeling
Description: Being a Variety of Steeling, transformed into a voracious Drinker
of Blood by the Dense Mist in Barheim Passage.
Those whom it latches onto are said to be drained to the last Drop. A Man who
lost a Comrade to one of their number posted a Bill for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
243 - Pylraster / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - Greater Tyrant
Description: The most violent of all known Wyrmkin in existence today,
considered a Mark of highest Priority for its ceaseless Attacks upon all manner
of Peoples. Many are the Hunters who have assayed its Vanquishing, but none
have succeeded.
The petition for the hunting of this truly Fell Creature comes from one of
the Pirates in Reddas's Employ, hoping to find someone strong enough to defeat
the Pylraster.
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< 3.27 - ELITE MARKS > [ BT27 ]
244 - Chickatrice / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being the Fledgling of the Cluckatrice, named the Chickatrice
until fully grown, possessing a steel-like beak and voracious Appetite from the
Day it hatches.
Currently considered a dire Threat to the Balance of Nature in Giza Plains,
and therefore recognized as a Mark along with the adult Cluckatrice.
* * * * * * * * *
245 - Cluckatrice / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being the adult form of the Chickatrice, grown Fat and Many in
Number thanks to the Rich Abundance of Animal Life available for the Eating in
Giza Plains. Recently, their Environs have been sorely taxed by their voracious
Appetite, and thus have concerned Villagers posted this Mark.
It is rumored that these Creatures first lived in western Lands, and were
brought here by a Merchant of little Scrupples, who released them into Giza for
Reasons unknown.
* * * * * * * * *
246 - Rocktoise / Genus - Rank I Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a great Titantoise that has assumed the Aspect of the
Boulders and Rocks amongst which it matured.
An unlikely Story, one might think, until one considers that the average
Rocktoise grows to Adulthood over the course of several Thousands of Years.
This Individual was kept as a Pet until it ran off into the Magicite Mines
one day, whereupon It was transformed by Mist into something violent and
wicked, and recognized as a Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
247 - Orthros / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being an ancient Inhabitant of the Garamsythe Waterway with an
inordinate Fondness for comely Maidens.
Possessing a sort of Chameleonism, whereby it assumes the Hue of that which
it consumes, it is said to glow as Gold, for in the Past it ate a Merchant's
Store of Coin.
This creature consumed a thief's ill-gotten plunder, which she now wishes to
return to its rightful owner, thus has she petitioned the hunt for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
248 - Gil Snapper / Genus - Rank III Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a Giant Titantoise called the "Gil Snapper" for the high
Price its Shell fetches at Market.
In the Past, lawless hunters overhunted the Snapper, and thus enraged, the
Titantoises struck back, assaulting innocent Villagers and all else resembling
their Foes. One such Snapper was caught by a Village Elder and Sealed within a
Jar, but the weakening of the Magicks placed upon it set it free, and so was
this Mark petitioned.
* * * * * * * * *
249 - Trickster / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Legendary Chocobo of the purest white Plumage. Though typically
hunting in Solitude in mountainous Regions, it is ever a Member of the Flock,
coming to the aid of its Kin when Danger threatens.
A Chocobo Wrangler who was the Victim of a Band of Mountain Bandits and was
saved by the Trickster could not resist petitioning a hunt for this rarest of
Marks, to wild Enthusiasm from Clan Hunters across Ivalice.
* * * * * * * * *
250 - Antlion / Genus - Rank V Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a Variety of Killer Mantis residing in the deepest crags of
the Lhusu Mines.
Aggressive in the Extreme, known to flay alive such giant Creatures as the
Nidhogg for its Food. As it has no natural Predators in the Mines, an Imbalance
in the Food Chain is feared.
Worried that her Children may have wandered into the Antlion's Nest, a
concerned Citizen petitioned a hunt for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
251 - Carrot / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a Malboro kept in the Imperial City as a Pet by Mme.
Zammadria.
Name: Carrot
Age: 8
Gender: Female
Upon a journey to Nalbina to visit her Husband, a member of the Restoration
Committee, her dear Carrot escaped and made for its Natural Homeland in the
Salikawood.
Mme. Zammadria petitioned a hunt for this Mark to avoid unwanted Scandal.
* * * * * * * * *
252 - Gilgamesh / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - ???
Description: An ancient Man of Mystery, traveling the Dimensions with his lone
Companion, Enkidu, in search of a legendary Sword.
It is said he confronts all Adventurers he meets and challenges them for
their Weapons.
Each of his six Arms bears a Weapon of great Fame, yet there is no Evidence
that any are the genuine article.
Petitioned as a Mark by a Swordsman bereft of his beloved Blade.
* * * * * * * * *
253 - Enkidu / Genus - ??? / Classification - ???
Description: Being the one faithful Companion of the legendary Gilgamesh.
Chosen for his passing Agility and Fangs sharp enough to pierce solid Rock,
he views Gilgamesh as both Partner and worthy Rival in all things.
* * * * * * * * *
254 - Behemoth King / Genus - Elite Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a legendary Guardian, Protector of all that lives within the
Feywood.
Long thought to exist only in Myth, until one brave Soul ventured into the
wood in search of proof, only to lose his life in the attempt. His Friend
petitioned a hunt for this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
255 - Ixion / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a variety of Nightmare, oft told of in Legends of Ridorana.
Having the power to turn the Dreams of Men to Terrors, then feeding off its
Victims' Anguish. The petitioner of this hunt is a Woman caught nightly by the
Dreams, and unable to sleep.
* * * * * * * * *
256 - Pandaemonium / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a Titantoise with the Aspect of a giant Boulder, set to the
great Purpose of purging a Shrine in the Far North of an infestation of wicked
Creatures.
The Surface of its mighty Shell is encrusted with hardened Lava, and its Legs
are forever in Shadow.
In the North, it is called the Darktoise for its Coloration, and is revered
as an Anima of Shadow.
* * * * * * * * *
257 - Slyt / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a great Sandfish, protector of the lands stretching from the
Continent to the East unto the very edge of the World. Its Scales create a
curious Pattern of Hues, containing all the blues of the Sea. The People of the
East liken its appearance to a Wyrm that dances in the night Sky, and so do
they call it the Blue Wyrm, revering it as an Anima of Shadow.
* * * * * * * * *
258 - Fenrir / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a Giant in the Form of a great white Cat, revered as a
Guardian Spirit high in the snowy Crags of the Mountains far to the West.
Its sharp silvery Stare robs those who face it of their Will to Fight, and
its vicious Claws rip through Flesh with Ease.
It is called the White Tiger for its striped body, and worshipped as an Anima
of the Sun.
* * * * * * * * *
259 - Phoenix / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a legendary Avion said to have been tasked with the
Protection of the southern Lands by the Gods themselves.
Its Body is covered in Feathers of rich Amber, and its Head is adorned with
elegant Horns.
Called the Firebird for the way it flames when climbing into the Sky, and
revered as an Anima of the Sun.
* * * * * * * * *
260 - Shadowseer / Genus - Rank VI Mark / Classification - ???
Description: Being a Seer with the eldritch Power to read the Fate of Men and
Kingdoms by the Movements of the celestial Bodies and the Flow of Mist, twisted
to a Thing of Evil by a great Flux of umbral Energy.
The Shadowseer may draw on both the Power of Darkness and that of Light,
being able to summon both Anima of Shadow and Anima of the Sun at once.
Fearing its evil Will, Montblanc wisely recognized this Mark.
* * * * * * * * *
261 - Yiazmat / Genus - Ultimate Mark / Classification - ???
Description: One Deity among Dragons, One great Wyrm to rule all Wyrms of the
World, by the Creator Himself created.
Legend says it is an Anima, Guardian to a sacred Blade.
Though most sacred amongst its Kind, its great Power drove it to Madness, and
in the End, it became a Threat to its own Creator.
His Master was killed by Yiazmat, robbing Montblanc of all Joy in Life, and
he would have Revenge.
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< 3.28 - ESPERS > [ BT28 ]
262 - Belias / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Gigas
Mesha Ascendant: Scion of darkness and guardian of the Holy Realm, made by the
gods in opposition to the Transcendent Loghrif, scion of light.
Called the Gigas for his appearance: man and monster fused as one.
Considered a mistake upon his making, and receiving not his intended role,
the Gigas challenged the gods and lost. Scorned by his masters, he found
another: the Dynast-King, whose tomb he swore to protect for eternity.
* * * * * * * * *
263 - Exodus / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Judge-Sal
Tula Ascendant: Most ancient of the scions, created in opposition to Halmarut,
the Arbiter, and scion of light.
Tasked with keeping watch over the world, with the authority to judge all
things.
As he watched, unseen, unknown, his attachment to the world dwindled and
faded until it was as nothing. Fitting that he would desire to make the world,
too, as nothing. Yet he fell in the war against the gods, and was thwarted,
imprisoned in punishment for his heresy.
* * * * * * * * *
264 - Chaos / Genus - Esper / Classification - Walker of the Wheel
Vrishabha Ascendant: Tutelary deity of the sacred crystals fashioned by the
gods at the time of the Great Making. Created in opposition to Mitron the
Chastiser, scion of light.
Upon entering the world of Man, he was enveloped in the turmoil rampant
there. Lost, he died and was reborn countless times, a walker of life's wheel,
eventually to rage against the gods that had so fated him.
By sitting in meditation upon the Uneh Pedestal does he clear heart and mind
until all that has order and reason and thought is made as nothing.
* * * * * * * * *
265 - Cuchulainn / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Impure
Vrishchika Ascendant: Scion created to rid the world of its impurities by
swallowing them within himself, in opposition to Nabriales the Majestic, scion
of light.
The world, however, was more filled with impurity and corruption than even
the gods dared imagine, and having swallowed it all, the once beautiful
Cuchulainn was transformed into a hideous thing, a deity of filth, and so did
he turn against his creators. Wherever his feet should fall, there all life
withers to dust.
* * * * * * * * *
266 - Zalera / Genus - Esper / Classification - Death Seraph
Mithuna Ascendant: Heretic scion who wrapped the world in dark energies,
seeking to take the souls of all living things unto himself. Created in
opposition to Emet-Selch, Angel of Truth, and scion of light.
Originally tasked with the judging of men upon their deaths, his soul was
tainted by the curses of those who raged against the heavens, and seizing one
of the gods' servants, as a hostage, he rebelled against his creators.
Even now, in defeat, he clutches the shamaness to him in his right arm, and
with the aid of her death-wail does he summon the soul of darkness to do his
bidding.
* * * * * * * * *
267 - Shemhazai / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Whisperer
Dhanus Ascendant: Scion that is both horse and woman, wielding utter control
over the souls that wander the underworld, in opposition to the Martyr
Igeyorhm, scion of light.
Though she once served the gods as a guardian, when Ultima announced her
rebellion, Shemhazai went to her, whispering of the gods' hidden weaknesses.
She then descended upon the land without leave of the gods, and taught men of
destruction and evil. For this was she stricken down and bound.
* * * * * * * * *
268 - Zeromus / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Condemner
Karka Ascendant: Honoring the law more than any other, a scion of holy order
and condemner of criminals. Created in opposition to Knight-Star Pashtarot,
scion of light.
He turns his deep, abiding hatred for those who break the law into living
darkness, therein to plunge the guilty in fell judgment. Over time, he came to
care less for upholding the law and more for condemnation, and so tainted by
hate, he sought to condemn the gods themselves to death. Thus did he earn the
title of "The Condemner," and thus did he fall from grace.
* * * * * * * * *
269 - Adrammelech / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Wroth
Makara Ascendant: Emperor among the scions, able to reduce to nothing aught he
strikes with a single vengeful blow of his fist, created in opposition to
Deudalephon the Benevolent, scion of light.
Though he was made by the gods to quell the fiends that raged in the
Otherworld, his immense strength and fearsome visage drew the fiends to his
side, and turned him against his creators.
Adrammelech rose to prominence in the Otherworld, whence he led a fiendish
horde against the gods, but in the end, he was defeated.
* * * * * * * * *
270 - Hashmal / Genus - Esper / Classification - Bringer of Order
Simha Ascendant: Scion set by the gods to wield and manipulate the laws of this
world, and with holy power lead mankind to order. Created in opposition to
Fandaniel the Protector, scion of light.
Desiring to bring order to all things, he joined with Ultima in her battle
against the gods.
He gave his body to the Thousand-Years War, and when his strength was spent,
down into the burning inferno he fell.
* * * * * * * * *
271 - Famfrit / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Darkening Cloud
Kumbha Ascendant: The hideous, darkly clouded form of Famfrit, scion in
opposition to Holy Queen Emmerololth, scion of light, was anathema even to his
creators. Thus, after a great battle, was he broken and sealed within armor
laced with wards. The confines of his armor are void of light, and so is he
called the Darkening Cloud.
Men fear the rain that falls from the black clouds that ooze from that giant
ewer as a herald of chaos and waste.
* * * * * * * * *
272 - Ultima / Genus - Esper / Classification - High Seraph
Kanya Ascendant: Masterpiece among the scions created by the gods, and
mastermind of the plot to rise against them. Prior to her betrayal, she was
tasked with guiding souls to heaven and aiding in their reincarnation.
Called the High Seraph for her angelic wings of glimmering gold, yet it was
on wings of deepest black that the tainted angel Ultima rose against the gods.
Since her fall, her heart is without light, and impossible to know.
* * * * * * * * *
273 - Mateus / Genus - Esper / Classification - The Corrupt
Meena Ascendant: Scion of darkness ruling and protecting those who live in the
underworld, in opposition to Lahabrea, Abyssal Celebrant and scion of light.
In the course of his rule, he submitted to avarice, and the darkness took his
heart, transforming him until he was both evil and corrupt. Then in his
cowardice did he bind a Goddess of the Demesne of Ice, and using her as a
living shield, he challenged the gods.
Defeated before their might, he fell screaming into the depths of hell, there
to be imprisoned for eternity.
* * * * * * * * *
274 - Zodiark / Genus - Esper / Classification - Keeper of Precepts
Ashlesha Ascendant: Strongest of the scions created by the gods, they feared
his growth, and so kept him a child.
So indomitable is his strength that all things by him are twisted and pressed
into oblivion.
He alone fashions the laws governing all things, and administers punishment
in place of the gods. So is he Keeper of Precepts, and his authority is
absolute.
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< 3.29 - BOSSES > [ BT29 ]
275 - Firemane / Genus - Boss / Classification - Flame Spirit
Observations: When Man first began to use fire not as sacred object, but as
weapon of war, it angered a great spirit of flame, this appearing among us as a
stallion, cloaked in searing fire, its body of a heat impossible to measure.
When, every once in a rare while, the Garamsythe Waterway fills with a thick
fog, it is said that the Firemane is galloping its ways and channels, its fiery
rage boiling the waters into steam.
* * * * * * * * *
276 - Rafflesia / Genus - Boss / Classification - Aggressive Vegetable
Observations: Being a giant plant, transformed by the dense Mist of the
Feywood. The long trunk-root extending from beneath its bloom is used to draw
nourishment from the elder trees it prefers.
Though it reproduces by releasing pollen from pods, the Mist interferes with
germination, and actual sproutlings are rare.
* * * * * * * * *
277 - Mimic Queen / Genus - Boss / Classification - Giant Insect
Observations: Of the gregarious hordes of mimics, the Queen alone possesses the
ability to reproduce. Her egg-laying capabilities being truly astounding, she
has been known to lay over 100 eggs in a single day.
The eggs, already quickened within their mother, hatch with little delay into
the creatures known as "tiny batteries," creating a veritable army overnight.
Such is a day in the life of the Queen, and she will have very many of them,
for Queens can remain fertile for several hundreds of years.
* * * * * * * * *
278 - Daedalus / Genus - Boss / Classification - Guardian Statue
Observations: Being a guardian statue of Giruvegan, set before the waystone
outside the city, preventing intrusion.
When provoked, the Daedalus swings its mighty sword, laying waste to any
foolish enough to approach.
To look upon its headless form is to know despair, and some conjecture that
the mere sight of it has stopped many would-be interlopers from passing into
the city.
* * * * * * * * *
279 - Ba'Gamnan / Genus - Boss / Classification - Bangaa
Observations: Being a bangaa headhunter, intent on capturing the sky pirate
Balthier.
Vicious and cruel, he will do anything to claim a bounty, not hesitating for
a moment to dirty his own hands.
Though Ba'Gamnan is guilty of more than enough to deserve a price on his own
head, his unofficial role as Judge Gabranth's dark hand ensures his good name
with the law.
His three henchmen are, if anything, crueler and more lacking in mores than
he, were that possible.
Ba'Gamnan's Henchmen: Big, strong, and never pushed aside until he's squeezed
the last scream out of a captive is Gijuk.
No less despicable is the shady Bwagi, a relentless and sadistic hunter of
men.
Lastly, Rinok gives a female touch to Ba'Gamnan's motley crew, yet if one
were expecting to find a kind and gentle nature here, one would be sorely, nay,
agonizingly disappointed.
* * * * * * * * *
280 - Tyrant / Genus - Boss / Classification - Guardian Beast
Observations: Being a guardian beast of Giruvegan, set by the masters of the
ancient city to guard the lowermost level against intrusion.
Though originally a variety of wyvern, potent Mist has transformed its wings
into sharp hook-like protrusions, a shadow of their original size.
Its undying loyalty makes the Tyrant a formidable barrier to entry into the
ruin's depths.
* * * * * * * * *
281 - Demon Wall / Genus - Boss / Classification / Guardian
Observations: Being a trap set to prevent those not of royal blood from
entering the Dynast-King's tomb. With twin giant swords drawn and a length of
wall upon its back, this statue challenges all who would seek to profane its
master's resting place.
It is thought that this fiendish device was constructed during the Galtean
Alliance, and knowledge of the mechanisms of its operation has long been lost.
On the wall the Dynast-King's likeness is carved in relief, this being the
last thing most intruders see before the Demonwall bears down upon them,
crushing their bones to dust.
* * * * * * * * *
282 - Hydro / Genus - Boss / Classification - Undead
Observations: Being an undead, kept in this world by sheer force of will long
after its body has surrendered to corruption.
While the decay of its eyes has left it blind, it senses the energy of the
living and strikes with deadly accuracy.
Though it cannot be known when the creature last breathed, from the state of
its yellowed bones, one can only imagine that it has walked in unlife for
several thousands of years.
* * * * * * * * *
283 - Tiamat / Genus - Boss / Classification - Dragon
Observations: Being a dragon awakened by Fran's sister, Mjrn, in a Mist-frenzy.
Ancient tomes describe it as an anima of the winds, possessed of a violent
temperament and destructive power enough to lead the entire world to ruin.
There are some who believe that Tiamat was responsible for the decimation of
the imperial troop performing experiments on manufacted nethicite, having been
awakened by the Stones' fell cry.
* * * * * * * * *
284 - Earth Tyrant / Genus - Boss / Classification - Greater Tyrant
Observations: Being one of eight legendary wyrms of great power, preferring to
dwell in arid climes.
It is said that the Earth Tyrant appears as a mighty shadow within a great
sandstorm, moving with the sound of rolling thunder. Of those brave souls who
have entered the sandstorm to catch a glimpse of this creature of legend, or
perhaps do battle with it, none have returned.
* * * * * * * * *
285 - Elder Wyrm / Genus - Boss / Classification - Greater Dragon
Observations: Guardian beasts of the forests, and the most ancient of the
dragons in Ivalice.
Though they perished several thousands of years ago, the living things of the
wood grew in them, giving them nourishment and counteracting the corruption of
their flesh until they stood once more.
So they share body and soul with the wood, and suffer no intruders within its
boundaries.
* * * * * * * * *
286 - Fury / Genus - Boss / Classification - Wroth Spirit
Observations: Being a wrathful spirit in the body of a dreamhare living in the
Necrohol of Nabudis, its astonishing power made all the more startling by its
demure appearance.
None know the limits of its strength. Indeed, many are the great creatures of
legend who have lost their lives to this furry terror.
As cruel as it is cute, it stalks the shadows, looking for worthy opponents
against whom to test its mettle.
* * * * * * * * *
287 - Vinuskar / Genus - Boss / Classification - Manufacted Dragon
Observations: Being a manufacted dragon of iron, set as guardian to a shrine
where the followers of the ancient goddess Miriam once came to worship.
Though an eerie iron mask covers the three portions of its head, none alive
know its meaning or purpose.
Nor is it known who created it, and in what age. The one thing we do know is
that we no longer possess the knowledge necessary to manufact such a creature.
* * * * * * * * *
288 - Humbaba Mistant / Genus - Boss / Classification - Beastlord
Observations: Being a humbaba transformed by a powerful Mist, several times
larger than its regular kin, and a fearsome sight to behold, with giant iron-
hard horns as hot as molten rock.
The sword it wields is a subject of legend, for it is said that with this
blade did the gods first cut Heaven and Earth in twain.
* * * * * * * * *
289 - King Bomb / Genus - Boss / Classification - Ancient Bomb
Observations: Being a fiery armament of singular destructive power among the
bombs created in ancient times.
It was long thought that the bombs disappeared, never taking to the wilds,
yet drawn by the massive Mist cloud left in the wake of the tragedy at Nabudis,
they came to live here as odd guests in the forests.
* * * * * * * * *
290 - Hell Wyrm / Genus - Boss / Classification - Dark Dragon
Observations: Being a dragon of such a high order of evil it is called the King
of Hell. Legend claims that it once traveled freely between this world and the
underworld spreading destruction until the gods themselves intervened, robbing
it of the power of flight, and sending it plummeting into the abyss.
Though it spread its wings again, meaning to challenge the gods' judgment,
the power of the shining glyphs they had placed upon it kept it earthbound, and
so it slept for many eons in dark passages, awaiting the chance to rise once
more.
* * * * * * * * *
291 - Ahriman / Genus - Boss / Classification - Undead Lord
Observations: In ancient times, Sochen Cave Palace was used as a ground for
spiritual training by monks and ascetics. Here they purified their hearts, yet
the corruption they washed away pooled, becoming the black soil out of which
the Ahriman is said to have grown. This coalescence of discarded corruption
hates those with pure hearts, and attacks with vengeful animosity.
For this, the Ahriman is considered an enemy by most religions of Ivalice.
* * * * * * * * *
292 - Omega Mark XII / Genus - Unclassified / Classification - Ancient Warmech
Observations: An ancient weapon of war, traveling the rifts between dimensions.
Its body is set with machineries and weaponry of a far higher order than
anything made today. Though it is a construct, it was built with the ability to
grow, and so it has evolved like a living creature.
It generates the energy it needs to live by filtering and condensing Mist
from the air.
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< 3.30 - RARE GAME > [ BT30 ]
293 - Aspidochelon / Derivation - Adamantitan / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (1 of 80): Rare adamantitan possessing a far harder shell than the
common stock.
Hunted on the Cerobi Steppe.
* * * * * * * * *
294 - Aerieel / Derivation - Vampyr / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (41 of 80): Vampyr transformed by the power of the magicite that lies
sleeping in the mineshafts it calls home.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, is hunted in the Lhusu
Mines.
* * * * * * * * *
295 - Thalassinon / Derivation - Emeralditan / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (2 of 80): most ancient of all known living emeralditans.
Hunted on the Phon Coast.
* * * * * * * * *
296 - Anubys / Derivation - Abysteel / Rarity - *
Rare Game (42 of 80): Abysteel transformed by feeding on creatures possessing
powerful magicks.
Hunted in the Sochen Cave Palace.
* * * * * * * * *
297 - Greeden / Derivation - Wooly Gator / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (3 of 80): Wooly gator adapted for life in the harsh desert.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Dalmasca
Estersand.
* * * * * * * * *
298 - Barmuu / Derivation - Facer / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (43 of 80): Facer transformed by a strong Mist.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Tomb of
Raithwall.
* * * * * * * * *
299 - Bull Croc / Derivation - Feral Croc / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (4 of 80): Feral croc so named for its raging, aggressive nature.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted on Ozmone Plain.
* * * * * * * * *
300 - Vishno / Derivation - Deidar / Rarity - **
Rare Game (44 of 80): A rare deidar, the flame of which has been infused with
concentrated Mist.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Pharos at
Ridorana.
* * * * * * * * *
301 - Gavial / Derivation - Baritine Croc / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (5 of 80): Baritine croc transformed by overlong exposure to befouled
water.
Hunted in the Garamsythe Waterway.
* * * * * * * * *
302 - Etherian / Derivation - Jelly / Rarity - **
Rare Game (45 of 80): A flan whose jelly transformed into an entirely novel
substance due to a sudden change in its habitat.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted on the Cerobi
Steppe.
* * * * * * * * *
303 - Wary Wolf / Derivation - Wolf / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (6 of 80): Wolf with strong lungs and heart, adapted to life at high
elevations.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Mosphoran
Highwaste.
* * * * * * * * *
304 - Melt / Derivation - Hecteyes / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (46 of 80): Hecteyes strain softer and more formless still than its
amorphic brethren.
Hunted in the Henne Mines.
* * * * * * * * *
305 - Kaiser Wolf / Derivation - Silver Lobo / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (7 of 80): Silver lobo named the "Kaiser" for its majestic beauty.
Hunted in the Dalmasca Westersand.
* * * * * * * * *
306 - Cubus / Derivation - Oiling / Rarity - **
Rare Game (47 of 80): Mutant oiling with a highly flammable nature.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Sochen
Cave Palace.
* * * * * * * * *
307 - Lindbur Wolf / Derivation - Worgen / Rarity - **
Rare Game (8 of 80): An elite worgen, being the result of selective coupling
among mates with above-average agility.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Dalmasca
Westersand.
* * * * * * * * *
308 - Pineapple / Derivation - Bomb / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (48 of 80): Bomb possessing many times the explosive power of its
more common ilk.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Ogir-
Yensa Sandsea.
* * * * * * * * *
309 - Dreadguard / Derivation - Mirrorknight / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (9 of 80): Mirrorknight of a higher order than its kin in nearly
every respect. A truly fearsome opponent.
Hunted in the Feywood.
* * * * * * * * *
310 - Bombshell / Derivation - Grenade / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (49 of 80): Grenade infused with the power of rich magicite.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Lhusu
Mines.
* * * * * * * * *
311 - Crypt Bunny / Derivation - Dreamhare / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (10 of 80): Dreamhare transformed by a strong Mist.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Feywood.
* * * * * * * * *
312 - Megabomb / Derivation - Balloon / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (50 of 80): Balloon transformed by exposure to the scorching sands of
the Sandsea.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Nam-Yensa
Sandsea.
* * * * * * * * *
313 - Spee / Derivation - Mu / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (11 of 80): Mu transformed by energies drawn from the thick-growing
vegetation around it.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the
Salikawood.
* * * * * * * * *
314 - Matriarch Bomb / Derivation - Mom Bomb / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (51 of 80): Said to be a prototype version of the mom bombs created
to guard the treasures lying within the Stilshrine.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the
Stilshrine of Miriam.
* * * * * * * * *
315 - Rain Dancer / Derivation - Danbania / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (12 of 80): Danbania that seems to dance through the storm-rain.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Giza Plains
during the Rains.
* * * * * * * * *
316 - Ripe Rampager / Derivation - Mandragora / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (52 of 80): Mandragora adapted over many generations to life in the
harsh desert.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Dalmasca
Estersand.
* * * * * * * * *
317 - Razorfin / Derivation - Piranha / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (13 of 80): Piranha born mutated in befouled waters.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the
Garamsythe Waterway.
* * * * * * * * *
318 - Killbug / Derivation - Mimic / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (53 of 80): Mimic made of a unique metallic substance.
Hunted on Ozmone Plain.
* * * * * * * * *
319 - Apsara / Derivation - Focalor / Rarity - **
Rare Game (14 of 80): Focalor mutated by a freak lightning strike.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted on the Phon
Coast.
* * * * * * * * *
320 - Minibug / Derivation - Tiny Mimic / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (54 of 80): Tiny mimic with little more than the barest amount of
intellect necessary for survival.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Barheim
Passage.
* * * * * * * * *
321 - Rageclaw / Derivation - Scythe Mantis / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (15 of 80): Scythe mantis born with naught in its heart but rage.
Hunted in the Salikwood.
* * * * * * * * *
322 - Ithuno / Derivation - Mimeo / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (55 of 80): Mimeo with an extremely hard carapace, several times more
durable than that of the typical specimen.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Barheim
Passage.
* * * * * * * * *
323 - Biding Mantis / Derivation - Preying Mantis / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (16 of 80): Mutant with a carapace many times thicker than that of
the typical preying mantis.
Hunted in Golmore Jungle.
* * * * * * * * *
324 - Kris / Derivation - Malboro / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (56 of 80): Type of malboro very rarely spawned through natural
malboro reproduction.
Hunted in the Tchita Uplands.
* * * * * * * * *
325 - Wood Toad / Derivation - Iguion / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (17 of 80): Iguion born, for reasons unknown, not as a flesh-eater
like others of its ilk, but as a grazer of vegetation.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the
Salikawood.
* * * * * * * * *
326 - Dheed / Derivation - Wyvern / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (57 of 80): Mutant wyvern that has attained powers of flight far
exceeding those possessed by others of its ilk.
Hunted in the Mosphoran Highwaste.
* * * * * * * * *
327 - Tarasque / Derivation - Lizard / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (18 of 80): Lizard strain that mutated wildly at some point during
its evolution.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Tchita
Uplands.
* * * * * * * * *
328 - Aeros / Derivation - Aeronite / Rarity - **
Rare Game (58 of 80): Aeronite born inferior to others of its ilk.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted on Ozmone Palin.
* * * * * * * * *
329 - Grimalkin / Derivation - Coeurl / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (19 of 80): Coeurl given to frenzied bursts of strength.
Hunted in the Tchita Uplands.
* * * * * * * * *
330 - Terror Tyrant / Derivation - Wild Saurian / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (59 of 80): Primordial wild saurian, being one of the oldest known
species.
Hunted in the Dalmasca Estersand.
* * * * * * * * *
331 - Nekhbet / Derivation - Cockatrice / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (20 of 80): Cockatrice that grows many times faster than common
stock.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Dalmasca
Estersand.
* * * * * * * * *
332 - Abelisk / Derivation - Archaeosaur / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (60 of 80): Rare strain of archaeosaur with an unusual skeletal
structure.
Hunted near the Ridorana Cataract.
* * * * * * * * *
333 - Glaring Eye / Derivation - Necrophobe / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (21 of 80): Rare necrophobe, the remnants of a soul with unusually
strong attachments to this world.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Henne
Mines.
* * * * * * * * *
334 - Dustia / Derivation - Oversoul / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (61 of 80): Rare variety of oversoul with a particularly evil
disposition.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Dalmasca
Westersand.
* * * * * * * * *
335 - Cultsworn Lich / Derivation - Lich / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (22 of 80): Lich transformed by a seething hatred into something far
darker and more powerful.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Tomb of
Raithwall.
* * * * * * * * *
336 - Ishteen / Derivation - Reaper / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (62 of 80): Reaper transformed by a powerful infusion of Mist.
Hunted in the Barheim Passage.
* * * * * * * * *
337 - Evil Spirit / Derivation - Necrofiend / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (23 of 80): Necrofiend known for an aggressive, hateful nature
unusual even among its grim kind.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Giruvegan.
* * * * * * * * *
338 - Vorres / Derivation - Gazer / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (63 of 80): One of the rarest of gazers, said to arise only in places
where massive numbers of lives have been taken.
Hunted in the Necrohol of Nabudis.
* * * * * * * * *
339 - Juggernaut / Derivation - Golem / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (24 of 80): A rare specimen of golem, transformed by exposure to Mist
of passing density.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Feywood.
* * * * * * * * *
340 - Negalmuur / Derivation - Nightwalker / Rarity - *
Rare Game (64 of 80): Nightwalker of such dark thirst, it is said to cull
hallowed souls from the very edge of worship.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the
Stilshrine of Miriam.
* * * * * * * * *
341 - Molen / Derivation - Mythril Golem / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (25 of 80): Extremely rare golem with a body fashioned entirely of
the purest mythril.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Zertinan
Caverns.
* * * * * * * * *
342 - Larva Eater / Derivation - Gargoyle / Rarity - *
Rare Game (65 of 80): Gargoyle oft appearing in the legendry of the ancient
city.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Giruvegan.
* * * * * * * * *
343 - Tower / Derivation - Babil / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (26 of 80): Babil considered the most sacred of its kind.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Pharos at
Ridorana.
* * * * * * * * *
344 - Arioch / Derivation - Gargoyle Baron / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (66 of 80): Gargoyle baron infused with the powerful hatred of those
whose lives it has taken.
Hunted in the Nabreus Deadlands.
* * * * * * * * *
345 - Grey Molter / Derivation - Viper / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (27 of 80): Viper that suddenly mutated after a molting.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Mosphoran
Highwaste.
* * * * * * * * *
346 - Fideliant / Derivation - Dark Skeleton / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (67 of 80): Dark skeleton born out of the darkness of the desert.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Dalmasca
Westersand.
* * * * * * * * *
347 - Midgardsormr / Derivation - Basilisk / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (28 of 80): Primordial basilisk, thought to be of an ancient, if not
original, species.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Golmore
Jungle.
* * * * * * * * *
348 - Crystal Knight / Derivation - Crusader / Rarity - *
Rare Game (68 of 80): Crusader wearing armor fashioned of pure crystal.
Hunted in Giruvegan.
* * * * * * * * *
349 - Nazarnir / Derivation - Sleipnir / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (29 of 80): Variety of sleipnir once felled by the legendary hunter
Nazarnir.
Hunted in Giza Plains during the Dry.
* * * * * * * * *
350 - Grave Lord / Derivation - Dark Lord / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (69 of 80): Dark lord with hatred enough to keep it forever chained
to our world.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Golmore
Jungle.
* * * * * * * * *
351 - Victanir / Derivation - Shadonir / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (30 of 80): Shadonir of exceptional violence, and the last discovery
of the famed naturalist Lord Viktor.
Hunted in the Nam-Yensa Sandsea.
* * * * * * * * *
352 - Zombie Lord / Derivation - Forbidden / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (70 of 80): Forbidden with an unusually strong hatred for the living.
Hunted in the Tomb of Raithwall.
* * * * * * * * *
353 - Gemhorn / Derivation - Slaven Wilder / Rarity - **
Rare Game (31 of 80): Slaven wilder with a diamond-hard crystalline horn on its
snout.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Lhusu
Mines.
* * * * * * * * *
354 - Drowned / Derivation - Ghoul / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (71 of 80): Ghoul whose lust for beauty lost has transfigured it into
a thing indescribably hideous.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the
Garamsythe Waterway.
* * * * * * * * *
355 - Luxollid / Derivation - Daikon Entite / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (32 of 80): Daikon entite infused with the power of nethicite.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Pharos at
Ridorana.
* * * * * * * * *
356 - Velelu / Derivation - Banshee / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (72 of 80): Banshee haunting those places where much life has been
lost.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Nabreus
Deadlands.
* * * * * * * * *
357 - Vagrant Soul / Derivation - Leamonde Entite / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (33 of 80): Leamonde Entite born of chaos.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Pharos at
Ridorana.
* * * * * * * * *
358 - Disma / Derivaton - Zombie Warlock / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (73 of 80): Zombie warlock transformed by the power of magicite.
Hunted in the Lhusu Mines.
* * * * * * * * *
359 - Imdugud / Derivation - Zu / Rarity - ****
Rare Game (34 of 80): Zu with needle-sharp teeth that can be spotted flying
over the desert sands.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Nam-Yensa
Sandsea.
* * * * * * * * *
360 - Ancbolder / Derivation - Striker / Rarity - **
Rare Game (74 of 80): Striker transformed into a thing of pure evil after long
and terribly cruel torture.
Hunted in the Paramina Rift.
* * * * * * * * *
361 - Bull Chocobo / Derivation - Chocobo / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (35 of 80): Chocobo uniquely adapted to life in the sandsea.
Hunted in the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea.
* * * * * * * * *
362 - Wendice / Derivation - Wendigo / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (75 of 80): Rare wendigo, beheaded and entombed in ice, and now
filled with the power of the Mist.
Hunted in the Sochen Cave Palace.
* * * * * * * * *
363 - Skullash / Derivation - Cataract Aevis / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (36 of 80): Cataract aevis with unusual vitality, feared as a near-
immortal predator.
Hunted on the Phon Coast.
* * * * * * * * *
364 - Anchag / Derivation - Dullahan / Rarity - **
Rare Game (76 of 80): Dullahan that has eschewed its blood brand for a llonbare
falseblade.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Paramina
Rift.
* * * * * * * * *
365 - Myath / Derivation - Dragon Lich / Rarity - *
Rare Game (37 of 80): Dragon lich infused with a strong Mist.
Hunted in the Stilshrine of Miriam.
* * * * * * * * *
366 - Bluesang / Derivation - Dullahan / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (77 of 80): Dullahan so cold and so wicked, it is said that its very
blood runs blue.
Hunted on the Cerobi Steppe.
* * * * * * * * *
367 - Helvinek / Derivation - Darkmare / Rarity - **
Rare Game (38 of 80): Darkmare transformed by the dense Mist that swirls within
the Necrohol of Nabudis.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Necrohol
of Nabudis.
* * * * * * * * *
368 - Avenger / Derivation - Bune / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (78 of 80): Bune infused with the power of nethicite.
Hunted in the Pharos at Ridorana.
* * * * * * * * *
369 - Pallicant / Derivation - Mallicant / Rarity - **
Rare Game (39 of 80): Mallicant uniquely adapted to its environment.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Ridorana
Cataract.
* * * * * * * * *
370 - Alteci / Derivation - Behemoth / Rarity - ***
Rare Game (79 of 80): Behemoth showing both unusual aggression, and an unusual
capacity to inflict damage.
Hunted in Zertinan Caverns.
* * * * * * * * *
371 - Phyllo / Derivation - Redmaw / Rarity - *****
Rare Game (40 of 80): Redmaw that lives in the jungle and feeds not on blood,
but on sap.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in Golmore
Jungle.
* * * * * * * * *
372 - Urutan Exile / Derivation - Urutan Exile / Rarity - **
Rare Game (80 of 80): Too savage even for the Urutan-Yensa, these warriors were
exiled for their abnormally aggressive natures.
This strain, as yet unrecorded in the Camp annals, in hunted in the Ogir-
Yensa Sandsea.
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< 3.31 - HUMANOIDS > [ BT31 ]
373 - Seeq / Genus - Humanoid / Classification - Seeq
Observations: Humanoids of great girth, considered somewhat duller and cruder
than humes.
Though they appear ponderous, they move with surprising alacrity, making
excellent warriors whether on the attack or defensive. However, their barbarous
natures and lack of courage find them engaged more often as bandits or worse.
Very fond of gemstones, gold, and other shiny objects, with which they richly
adorn their bulky forms.
The Riddle of Myth (1 of 5): Most Myth and Legend, through the Influence and
Designs of Culture and Religion, becomes warped considerably from its original
Form.
However, should we look more closely into its myriad Folds, therein might we
find the Thread of Truth.
Come, Friend, and I shall guide you through one such Myth, a Story of Ivalice
and Her Creation. Though stories of the Great Making are as many as the Stars
in the Firmament, few are they that begin with a Tale of Vengeance.
Look closely: mayhap it shall be you who finds the thread within.
Sekhaba, Theologian
The Riddle of Myth (2 of 5): Ahnas the Holy - Part One
And so it was that the Fabar and the Danan, being tribes of Gods both, warred
for many thousands of Years, until the Prophet Matoya foresaw that Xabaam,
God-king of the Danan would die by a trusted Blade, and War would end.
Fearing Death, God-king Xabaam took his most trusted General, Ahnas, God of
Swords, and thrust him with his Retinue into the ever-darkened Depths of a
great Labyrinth, there to bide for Eternity.
Yet Ahnas begged aid of Heth, God of Death, who was Lord of the Labyrinth,
and so did He make his escape from that Gaol.
The Riddle of Myth (3 of 5): Ahnas the Holy - Part Two
So did Ahnas offer His own Life to Heth, God of Death, in exchange for his
Release, and together with his Followers did he swear Vengeance.
Several Millennia had passed, when an Army appeared before the Fabar. It was
the Followers of Ahnas and Ahnas himself, his Life made One with that of Heth.
He was now Ahnas the Holy, and together with his Army he won Battle after
Battle against the forces of the Danan, until word of his Triumphs reached the
Ear of We'aka, Fabar God of Makings, and upon one Day, Ahnas revealed to We'aka
his true story.
The Riddle of Myth (4 of 5): Ahnas the Holy - Part Three
We'aka saw Strength in their Vengeance, and thereupon swore an Oath that
Ahnas' Army should join in the final Battle against the Danan. So did the Long
War between the Fabar and the Danan enter its final Chapter.
Then did Ahnas call upon the Magicks of Heth to give his Army strength for
the Battle to come. Some were given new Forms: those of Elemental Lords of Fire
and Water. Others were given the Powers of Venom or crushing Force, and
glorious were all the Victories of those so transformed.
War raged on for a thousand Days and Nights. When, at last, Ahnas was
triumphant over the Danan, then did he reveal himself to God-king Xabaam and so
took him Captive.
The Riddle of Myth (5 of 5): Ahnas the Holy - Part Four
We'aka, God of Makings, and the Fabar ordered that God-king Xabaam's Head be
taken, yet Ahnas wished that Xabaam pay for his Treachery, and so did he cast a
Magick of eternal Life upon his once Lord who was now his Enemy, and so
fashioned his Body into a great Land. Then did Ahnas and his Retinue ascend to
Heaven, whence to look down upon the Land they had created.
Now Ahnas the Shining named the cursed Land "Ivalice," and made Men to walk
upon Her. In Time, Man began to eat away at her Soil, digging deep within her
Folds, threatening to destroy the very Body of Xabaam the Eternal, even while
the Memory of his Sin remained.
So did Ahnas and his Retinue divide themselves into two: Perselas of the Day,
and Metselas of the Night, and swore to guard this Land for Eternity.
* * * * * * * * *
374 - Urutan-Yensa / Genus - Humanoid / Classification - Urutan-Yensa
Observations: Race evolved from crustaceans to bipedal humanoids.
Their hides are extremely hard, covered with stiff bristles of needle-like
hair.
Customarily, they wrap themselves in cloth, though whether this is for
protection against the elements, or to hide their hideous appearance, none can
say.
Extremely aggressive by nature, all attempts at integrating Urutan-Yensa into
hume culture have ended in tragedy.
Though they recognize no state, they are fiercely territorial and war between
Urutan-Yensa tribes is incessant.
Letter to a Wayfarer (1 of 5): My Dearest Pulania,
My close examination and painstaking translation of the text you sent me a
fortnight since is finished. I send you the results with all haste. The text in
question was written in an ancient time, yet it offered only nominal resistance
to my keen interpretive eye.
It is nothing other than the memoranda of an ancient crafter of weaponry,
though as to whether what it records is a truth, or merely a fiction, I must
confess I suspect the latter.
I await your return with baited breath, and ask you bring something offering
a modicum more challenge, though my expectations remain, as always, humble.
Yours,
Farrister, Archaeist
Letter to a Wayfarer (2 of 5): Project Memorandum - 1
12/24/27
Request from said Patron, wanting a Device for felling Beasts, Fiends, &c.,
and I not thinking to ask what Sort of Creature he hunted, but it matters not.
Whatever it may be, it will have Wants, and I need only Fashion an
appropriate Lure to whet its Greed. Perhaps something in the Shape of a Coffer.
19/26/27
Prototype complete. When placed surreptitiously amongst my Assistant's
Belongings he reached for 't with a swiftness and lo, his Shock and Dismay at
being caught! Now I need only fashion for it a Means of attack.
Letter to a Wayfarer (3 of 5): Project Memorandum - 2
29/26/27
Delivery complete.
1/27/27
Received Complaint. The Target was in Fact a Dragon of some Power. Tell me
these Things sooner! Yet one must not Complain to one's Patron. On bended Knee
and with Head hung low, submitted I a Tally of additional Costs and Fees, for
which I was only reimbursed after much Hemming and Hawing.
I will not forget this.
5/27/27
How to defeat that which cannot be defeated?
Nightly, I ponder...
Letter to a Wayfarer (4 of 5): Project Memorandum - 3
6/28/27
'Tis hot. Unbearably so. I find this Season most unpalatable. Be that as it
may, I have devised a Plan for this Project. When One does not know the
Strength of one's Foe, one must first observe. Then, One must attain the
necessary Strength to defeat the Enemy. My Weapon will be a learning, growing
Entity!
16/29/27
Growth Lattice in place. Had I not made it Myself, indeed, I would say it
lived. Yet all that lives must have a Mother, and so that is what I shall make
next.
14/30/27
The Mother is completed, and continues Her growth. So too grows her Brood,
for daily she gives birth to small larval Weapons. Like their Mother, they too
have the Appearance of small Coffers. 'Tis much like the laying of Eggs one
might witness in the Wilds, and as such is quite fascinating, yet at this Rate
my Laboratory will soon be filled with Coffers. returning current stock to
Storage.
Letter to a Wayfarer (5 of 5): Project Memorandum - 4
29/30/27
Delivery. Via viewing Crystal concealed in one of the Coffers, I watch the
Fray. 'Tis a Dragon of incredible Size, indeed! My Creations' Attacks appear to
strike true, yet the Creature is nary the worse for it. I shudder to think on
how much further Growth will be needed before real Results can be seen in this
deadly Contest.
1/31/27
Received Complaint. "How dare you allow the fell Beast to escape?" or some
such. I essayed to explain that Time was required for the learning to take
root, yet my dear Patron's ill Humors did rise, setting his Face to shine
bright Red, and there was no reasoning with Him.
A Pestilence take him!
Finding this whole Affair to have left a bitter Taste upon my Tongue, I
departed, but only after creeping down to the Patron's well-apportioned
Cellars, there releasing a very young Mother. That should give him a Surprise
in a few Years.
5/31/27
I wonder where Mark XII could have gotten to? Both viewing Crystal and
Transmitter were crushed in the Fray. I can only surmise it found some Place
rich in Mist whereby to foster its continued growth. I wish it the best of
Luck.
(This being the last entry.)
* * * * * * * * *
375 - Garif / Genus - Humanoid / Classification - Garif
Observations: This race of large-framed, well-muscled humanoids have bodies
covered in thick fur.
The Garif adorn themselves simply with ornaments of stone and bone,
preferring natural objects over those crafted or otherwise changed from their
original form. The one exception is their masks: each is unique, and is worn
for the duration of its owner's life.
The Garif worship magicite as a sacred substance, and possess deep cultural
knowledge of the Stones.
The Dragon's Game (1 of 5): Dragons.
The most feared of all creatures, yet, beyond mention in ancient tomes of
their servitude to the gods in antiquity, little is known of the ecology and
development of the great wyrms.
I have, in my studies, come across a certain fable concerning a god and a
dragon. The stone tablet upon which it was written was only recently
discovered, and though there are surely some embellishments as might be found
in any fable, I wonder with no little surprise at its simple elegance. Perhaps,
I find myself thinking, this tale has the germ of truth in it.
Lecluse, Exegete of Tales
The Dragon's Game (2 of 5): In times now ancient, a Dragon was born, stronger
than anything that had been before, and in time he thought himself superior to
the God that had created him.
One day he said unto Him, "I am stronger than you, God."
"Very well," replied the smiling God, "then let us play a game, and we shall
see which of us is the stronger."
So began the Dragon's game.
The Dragon's Game (3 of 5): Dragon and God agreed to three tests to see who was
the strongest.
"See yon mountain?" asked the God, "can you carry it here to me?"
"As easily as an ant might carry a blade of grass," the Dragon replied, and a
moment later he had brought the mountain to the God's feet.
"Next," the Dragon said, "it is your turn."
"No," said the God, "I am not strong enough to move a mountain."
And so did the Dragon win the first test.
The Dragon's Game (4 of 5): The next test was also one of strength.
"See there yon rock?" asked the God. "It is of the strongest stone in the
world. Can you pierce it?"
"As easily as a sparrow might pierce an apple in search of the worm," the
Dragon replied, and a moment later he had opened a gaping hole in the stone.
"Next," the Dragon said, "it is your turn."
"No," said the God, "I am not strong enough to pierce such stone."
And so did the Dragon win the second test.
The Dragon's Game (5 of 5): And so they came to the final test.
"See there yon magickal ring?" asked the God. "Can you pass through it?"
"As easily as the ferret scampers through the warren-hole, in search of the
hare," and a moment later, the Dragon's neck was through the ring.
Yet the ring was too narrow for the dragon to pass through entirely.
"You have tricked me," the dragon said.
"I am cleverer than you," replied the smiling God.
Thus did the God win the final test, and thus did the Dragon become lesser
than the God in all things.
* * * * * * * * *
376 - Baknamy / Genus - Humanoid / Classification - Baknamy
Observations: Humanoid race closely resembling humes, save for the small horns
atop their heads.
Diminutive in size, even adults grow no larger than hume children.
Unable to breath untreated air, they must wear filtering masks to survive.
The greater part of baknamy live in poverty, and their frequent association
with criminal activities has led to much prejudice and hatred of their people
among hume society.
The Wolf in the Woods (1 of 5): A truth: Things there are in this world not
meant to exist in harmony with one another, whether they be so close as to
touch, or so far as to never know of the other's being.
Actions were taken in defiance of this truth, and indeed, they stirred the
imagination of the world, yet only served to hasten its inevitable end. Who can
say this is not the preferable outcome?
Amata, Philosopher
The Wolf in the Woods (2 of 5): Listen! A village there was between the
mountains and the sea.
It was a peaceful village, yet with one abiding fear: a great wolf that had
come to live in the forest nearby.
None knew when or whence this violent beast had come, yet his howls crept
over cobblestone and rang in the rafters, setting the villagers to trembling.
Yet the wolf howled not to threaten, but for loneliness. Indeed, he sought
the friendship of the villagers, not their flesh.
The Wolf in the Woods (3 of 5): A hunter from the village came, and saw the
wolf, and understood its cry. So he sought to help the beast.
"Wolf, do you know why you are feared? It is because your aspect is frightful
to us."
The wolf asked what he might do to amend this, upon which the hunter replied,
"Wolf, I shall cast a magick upon you so that you might have the form of a
man."
And by the time the hunter finished speaking, the wolf had indeed been
transformed. The wolf thanked him, but the hunter gave him a warning, saying,
"You are man only in appearance. Know this: you must never speak, for you are a
wolf, and that is the way things should be."
The Wolf in the Woods (4 of 5): The wolf that walked as a man left the forest
and went into town. His new face glowed with joy, for now he would have
friends.
The people on the street viewed this stranger with suspicion at first, yet
his smile won him their trust and welcome.
The wolf was moved by the smiles they returned him, for he had never seen
men showing anything but fear. Yet he did not speak, for that is the way things
should be.
So was this a joyous time for the wolf. But soon it grew dark.
The Wolf in the Woods (5 of 5): The wolf returned to the forest, a wolf, no
longer a man. That night he did not howl, but drifted off to sleep thanking the
hunter who had given him such a wonderful day. And the hunter saw the wolf, and
was glad.
Listen! A village there was between the mountains and the sea.
A peaceful village, for fear was dead, slain by the proud hunter whose blood-
song sounded over cobblestone and rang in the rafters, easing the villagers
fitful sleep.
And the hunter did not doubt, nor did he cease his song... until the day a
great pack of wolves descended on the village.
For that was the way things should be.
* * * * * * * * *
377 - Bangaa / Genus - Humanoid / Classification - Bangaa
Observations: Humanoid race, their bodies covered in small, hard scales, with
distinctive long, drooping ears.
Bangaa are nimble and strong, living up to twice as long as the average hume.
In manner and intelligence they greatly resemble humes, and as such are the
most integrated of the humanoid races in hume society.
Even so, some humes call the bangaa "lizards" behind their backs, but this is
considered a slur, and is like to deeply offend any bangaa within hearing.
Nameless Inkings (1 of 5): It was a clement day when my partner and I arrived
at Nabudis at the end of a long journey.
I remember looking upon her beautiful, welcoming streets and realizing no
other place could be more fitting a destination. Gathering up what coin we had,
we secured residence, and began to look for work. From odd jobs to risky border
patrols, we did all, and were satisfied.
Thinking on it now, I realize, I was happy then.
Nameless Inkings (2 of 5): We were not particular in our acceptance of work,
and so in a short time amassed enough wealth that we might live in some degree
of comfort.
Our residence began to fill with the articles and artifacts of our daily
lives, and soon we found our roots sunk so deep in the soil of this city, we
could not imagine ever leaving.
Though I assisted my partner with work, we gradually came to seek out our own
time, and so grew apart.
Yet, we were satisfied. Why need this life ever end?
Nameless Inkings (3 of 5): Several years after beginning our life in Nabudis,
there came a call for soldiers from the city watch. We had, by this time, made
something of a name for ourselves, and so did a summons come to us.
We were not born in this city of Nabudis, yet our love for the town knew
nothing of this, and we accepted without delay.
I was given to the border patrol, my partner to the defense of the city wall.
The night before I was to leave, we ate a splendid meal and drank such wine
as we could afford.
It was as though we knew it would be our last meal together.
Nameless Inkings (4 of 5): The days of my patrol were harsh, yet we finished
our duties, and weeks later, had only to return.
That night, I dreamt.
My partner came to me, trying to tell me something, yet I could hear nothing
but the blowing of a distant wind.
Perhaps I became homesick as I slept, for when I awoke, my eyes were wet with
tears. In the dream, my partner had been unchanged, a perfect memory.
Our feet turned home, all our thoughts flying down the road ahead of us,
faster than we might hope to walk, back toward Nabudis.
Nameless Inkings (5 of 5): What awaited us upon our return was not a hero's
welcome, but despair.
Gone were the beautiful palisades, gone were the families and friends that
surely awaited us. Only a wasted, blasted land remained.
Then we saw the people of Nabudis, though to call them that is a jape of the
bitt'rest sort.
They were the walking dead, hungering for life, and consuming all they found
that was light and good. We fought them to save our own lives, and we wept.
Then, among the dead, I saw him. And I could fight no more.
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< 3.32 - THE ARCHADIAN EMPIRE > [ BT32 ]
378 - Imperial / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Imperial
Imperial Soldier: Being the rank and file of the Archadian Imperial Army.
The greater part of the Imperial army is comprised of swordsmen. In addition
are hoplites in heavy armor for charging enemy fortifications, mages for ranged
support, and others still for various more specialized roles.
Mastiff: Dogs specially trained for battle. Their ability to follow commands
and unswerving loyalty make them a vital part of the Imperial war machine.
Training takes place at the hands of skilled "beast tamers," with a mastiff
usually requiring two to three years before it is ready to see combat.
* * * * * * * * *
379 - Judge Ghis / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Judge
Observations: Being one of the Judge Magisters of the Archadian Empire.
Officiant of the 13th Bureau and commander of the Leviathan, the flagship of
the 8th Fleet of the Western Armada, led by Lord Vayne.
In addition to official duties as Judge, he also works in secret, carrying
out tasks assigned him by Vayne personally.
* * * * * * * * *
380 - Imperial Elite / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Imperial Elite
The Judges: A special order of knights under the Imperial Archadian Ministry of
Law.
With the spread of Archadian influence came a rise in crime and regional
conflicts. To reduce the amount of time required by the judicial process, a
military court was established, this being the origin of the Order of Judges.
Imperial Elites: Name given to a highly trained group of soldiers who have
undergone the most rigorous selection procedures to become the pride of the
Imperial army.
Elites are separated into three divisions by role: gunners, being marksmen
trained in the use of rifles; pilots, being combat airship pilots; and
beastmasters, being those who train the mighty mastiff dogs that fight
alongside Imperial soldiers.
Those who make it past the selection process go to the Imperial military
school known as the "Akademy," there to learn the specialist skills of their
allocated division.
* * * * * * * * *
381 - Judge Bergan / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Judge
Observations: Judge Magister of the Archadian Imperial Army, director of the
2nd Bureau.
A warrior by training, he has a personal affinity for weapons and combat.
His experience with warfare has positioned him as the Empire's preeminent
Judge overseeing invasion and military envoys.
A staunch supporter of Lord Vayne (also a believer in administration by
force), he has dedicated his life to ensuring Vayne's aspirations come to
fruition.
* * * * * * * * *
382 - Imperial Armament / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Imperial
Armament
Rook: Dr. Cid has been working on developing thought-driven combat weapons,
called "rooks," for some time now. Test models saw their first combat use in a
recent incident at the Draklor Laboratory.
Three new models have been produced based on data collected during the
Draklor Laboratory incident.
Draklor CB56 Remora Fighter: Small fighter airship of the Imperial army.
Gun turrets placed on the keel, and turrets on the deck make this an
effective weapon against air and ground threats.
A mainstay of the Imperial Armored Forces together with the newer CB58
Valfarre fighter.
The initials of the craft's designer, Dr. Cid, and the year of its production
adorn the hull.
* * * * * * * * *
383 - Judge Gabranth / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Judge
Observations: Being a member of the Order of Judges of the Imperial Archadian
Ministry of Law, and Judge Magister of the 9th Bureau.
The 9th Bureau, led by Gabranth, is primarily concerned with the gathering
and dissemination of information. As a result, many of the bureau's activities
are shrouded in secrecy.
Gabranth, and his power, are respected by other Judge Magisters, and Emperor
Gramis himself places great faith in this younger Judge.
* * * * * * * * *
384 - Doctor Cid / Genus - Imperial Army / Classification - Scientist
Observations: Chief of the Draklor Laboratory, the top-secret weapons
laboratory of the Archadian Empire. Full name: Cidolfus Demen Bunansa. Age: 58.
Pursues a program for manufacting nethicite, a variety of magicite with the
property of absorbing magickal energy.
Friend to Vayne. Though their ages are different, they share many of the same
ideals and beliefs.
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[ 4 - CONTACT INFORMATION ] [ BTCI ]
[=========================]
mookiethebold[at]yahoo[dot]com
- Please mention FFXII as the subject, otherwise I'll delete it on sight.
- Please be polite. I will not respond to any mail I deem to be rude.
- Please be patient. If you have a question(s), I generally send responses
within a week, but sometimes circumstances prevent me from doing so.
Feel free to email me...
- If you liked this guide and just want to say so.
- If you have a question specifically pertaining to this guide.
- If you noticed an error and have specific info about a correction. Once I
confirm it, you'll be given credit whenever the next update occurs (spelling
and grammar errors do not count).
Do not email me...
- If you want to complain.
- To ask where monster X is or how to spawn monster Y or how to kill monster Z.
This is not that kind of guide and you will not get any help from me.
- To ask for help regarding the main game. There are walkthroughs for that, as
well as the message board.
- If the answer to your question can be found within this guide.
- To send spam or a virus.
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[ 5 - CREDITS ] [ BTCR ]
[=============]
Thanks to -
SquareEnix: For the game!
CJayC & SBAllen: For GameFAQs!
Me: For writing the darn thing!
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[================]
[ 6 - DISCLAIMER ] [ BTDI ]
[================]
Final Fantasy XII Bestiary Transcription
For the Playstation 2
copyright 2008 Santo Lofaso
This guide may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web
site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation
of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
This guide may only be hosted by the following sites:
- GameFAQs - http://www.gamefaqs.com/
- Super Cheats - http://www.supercheats.com/index.htm
_______________________________________________________________________________
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